•L,-n__n__n__n_n_rs 


REESE  LIBRARY 

OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


^Accession  No. 


6    -   Class  No. 


NICHOLAS  COMENIUS 


OR 


YE   PENNSYLVANIA  SCHOOLMASTER 


OF 


YE   OLDEN  TIME 


BY 


WILLIAM   RIDDLE 


THIRD    EDITION 


SYRACUSE,    tf.    Y. 

C.  W.   BARDEEN,  PUBLISHER 

1898 


COPYRIGHT,  1893. 

BY 
WILLIAM  RIDDLE. 


73 


TO  THE  FEW 

©Id  Schoolmasters 

WHO  YET  LINGER  AMONG  MEN 

IN  THE  SILVERY  HALO  OF 

A  RIPE  -PLD  AGE, 

THIS  WORK 
IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED  BY 

The  Author. 


PREFACE. 


IN  the  reminiscences  of  Nicholas  Comenius,  the  aim 
has  been  to  present  a  faithful  picture  of  conditions  in 
school  life,  which  during  the  past  forty  years  have 
come  within  the  observation  and  experience  of  the 
writer  but  which  now  exist  only  in  memory. 

The  book  has  been  written,  not  to  glorify  the  old 
nor  to  reflect  unjustly  on  the  new,  but  rather  with  the 
hope  that  it  may  deepen  a  love  and  inspire  a  more 
lasting  veneration  for  the  old  schoolmasters  of  other 
days,  around  whose  memory  still  linger,  in  the  hearts 
of  the  older  generation,  so  many  endearing  recollec- 
tions of  their  boyhood  days. 

Believing  that  there  was  enough  of  good  in  the  older 
dispensation  to  make  it  worthy  of  the  younger — the 
young  men  and  women  who  have  so  recently  entered 
the  teacher's  calling — some  of  its  salient  features  have 
been  thrown  into  contrast  with  the  new  order  of  things. 
If  the  comparison  is  not  always  to  the  advantage  of 
the  present,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  fact  may  indi- 
cate the  value  of  a  closer  study  of  the  past. 

If,  upon  the  whole,  the  work  shall  be  found  to  lean 
too  strongly  toward  the  old,  at  the  expense  of  the  new, 
fifty  years  of  service  in  various  relations  to  the  school 
work,  as  pupil  under  one  of  the  old  masters,  teacher, 

(vii) 


viii  Preface. 

director,  and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  a  member  of 
that  class  of  public  benefactors  whose  services  are  not 
at  all  times  recognized  and  appreciated,  may  plead 
the  writer's  excuse.  But  in  view  of  the  extravagant 
claims  and  concessions  of  the  new  order  of  develop- 
ment, perhaps  such  a  slight  leaning  toward  one's  own 
generation  may  only  serve  to  restore  a  just  balance. 

The  few  whose  memory  goes  back  with  the  writer's 
to  personal  relations  with  the  old  masters,  will  unite 
in  blessing  their  memory;  and  we  hope  the  younger, 
matter-of-fact  reader,  while  he  may  smile  at  the  gro- 
tesque side,  will  not  overlook  the  other  characteristics 
we  have  sought  to  portray. 

The  writer  is  little  disposed  to  apply  to  the  newer 
order  the  caustic  criticism  of  a  new  book,  that  "what 
was  good  was  not  new  and  what  was  new  was  not 
good."  Nor  can  such  a  spirit  be  justly  attributed  to 
this  book,  which  aims  to  favor  the  liberal  yet  judi- 
cious doctrine:  "  Prove  all  things,  hold  fast  that  which 
is  good. ' ' 

Wherein  our  pages  deal  with  history  we  have 
tried  to  catch  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  need  not 
apologize  for  our  word  of  tribute,  to  the  great  men 
whose  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  cause  of  popular 
education  should  inspire  their  descendants  to  a  more 
lasting  appreciation  of  their  deeds  and  services. 

If  the  book  shall  help  the  reader  to  appreciate  the 
old  without  depreciating  the  new,  to  receive  from  those 
who  went  before  the  truth  they  held,  and  apply  it  in 
sifting  wheat  from  chaff,  the  labors  of  the  author  will 

not  have  been  in  vain.  W.  R. 

Lancaster^  Pa. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE 

FROM  THE  OLD  TO  THE  NEW i 

CHAPTER  II. 

AN  UNPOPULAR  OFFICIAL— CORNELIUS  AND  HIS  HOSPI- 
TALITY— ZACCHEUS  AND  THE  TELESCOPE — THE  MAP 
AGENT 18 

CHAPTER  HI. 

IvADAMUS  AND  MARINDA 33 

CHAPTER  IV. 
ARCHEY  MCFADDEN  AND  TIPPECANOE 50 

CHAPTER  V. 
DWELLING  IN  THE  SHADOW 62 

CHAPTER  VI. 
"  MOTHER,  HOME  AND  HEAVEN  " 71 

CHAPTER  VII. 

STEPHEN,  THE  GATE-KEEPER 84 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  SCHOOL-HOUSE  AND  THE  OAK— THE  SMITH  SHOP- 
OLD  BLIND  TOM 98 

CHAPTER  IX. 
SIMON,  THE  DRIVER  OF  PACKET  LINE  MAIL  COACH  No.  10.  114 

CHAPTER  X. 
THE  YOUNG  SUPERINTENDENT 126 

(ix) 


x  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XI. 
AN  INSTRUCTOR'S  VIEW  OF  INSTITUTE 136 

CHAPTER  XII. 
BOOK  DEPARTMENT  OF  INSTITUTE 145 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

INSTITUTE  IN  OPERATION — MODERN  ENTERPRISE  vs.  OLD 

FOGYISM ...    161 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  OLD  DIRECTOR  AND  THE  NEW— "UNCLE SOL "  Mc- 
MURDY  AND  SAM  JONES,  M.  D.— SCHOOL  BOARD 
TACTICS  .  .  .  . 175 

CHAPTER  XV. 
THE  NEW  ERA  IN  THE  CITY  SCHOOLS 186 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

NICHOLAS  AT  THE  HOTEL 197 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
NICHOLAS  ADDRESSES  THE  INSTITUTE— His  GUARD  OF 

HONOR— TEDDY  DEFENDS  HIS  GATE 205 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
NICHOLAS  AND  HIS  ESCORT  LOOKING  BACKWARD  INTO 

THE  PAST .    218 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
NICODEMUS  THE  ACADEMICIAN— THE  FREE  SCHOOL  FIGHT 

• — GIANTS  OF  THOSE  DAYS 230 

CHAPTER  XX. 
OPPOSITION    TO    THE    SYSTEM  —  IMPROVED    ELECTION 

METHOD — THE  SQUIRE  AND  THE  OLD  MASTERS  .   .    245 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
BEFORE  THE  EXAMINATION— IN   THE   SCHOOL-HOUSE— 

THE  OLD  MASTERS  UNDER  FIRE 260 


Contents.  xi 

CHAPTER  XXII.  PAGE 

EXAMINATION  IN  ARITHMETIC  AND  GRAMMAR— MOTHER 
BENTON— THE  SPELLING-BOOK— THE  OLD  MASTERS 
DISCARDED ....  278 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE    NEW    TEACHER — THE  FIRST  MORNING — MODERN 

METHODS — ORLANDO  HOSKINS  INDIGNANT  ....    296 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SEEKING  QUARTERS — THE  GENERAL  WASHINGTON — "  IN- 
SUBORDINATION " — A  FRIEND  IN  NEED 313 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

EMDEN  FAIR  WEEK— ORLANDO'S  UNFULFILLED  PROPH- 
ECY   327 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  TEACHER  ON  TRIAL— MOTHER  BENTON  INTERPOSES 
— INSUBORDINATION  IN  THE  CITY — CHANGE  OF 
QUARTERS — VILLAGE  GOSSIP 344 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
NATURE  STUDY— NICHOLAS  APPOINTED  SUPERINTENDENT 

— DEATH  OF  HIS  PREDECESSOR 359 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
ANOTHER  DATE   FOR  ASCENSION — ORLANDO  MISTAKEN 

AGAIN — OSCAR  BENTLY  IN  THE  OLD  FORT    ....    375 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ROBERT  RETURNS  TO  EMDEN — WHY  DID  HE  COME  BACK  ? 
—THE  PARSON'S  WIFE— WELCOMED  BY  THE  DIREC- 
TORS    .  .  384 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
PRESIDENT  L/UKINS  IN  FULL  DRESS — HE  ALARMS  OSCAR 

BENTLY— EBENBZER'S  SPEECH  TO  ROBERT  ....   396 


xii  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XXXI.  PAGE 
PARTING  WITH  HANNAH  — THIC  HOLIDAY  SEASON— OR- 
LANDO BRINGS  MALINDA  TO  SCHOOL — ROBERT  DE- 
NOUNCES HIS  DOCTRINES 408 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

SHAKY  HOLLOW— A  MYSTERIOUS  PROCESSION— ROBERT 
DISAPPEARS — ORLANDO  TRIED  FOR  KIDNAPING — 
THE  LOST  is  FOUND 420 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

ROBERT  VINDICATES  ORLANDO— THE  PARSON'S  RECAN- 
TATION -  THE  FADED  FLOWER  OF  SHAKY  HOLLOW 
—PEACE  AND  GOOD-WILL  .  .  .  . 431 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  OLD  SCHOOL-HOUSE  DESERTED— ROBERT  is  WANTED 
ELSEWHERE  —  HANNAH  AS  TEACHER— MAY-DAY 
FESTIVAL — THEIR  WEDDING 443 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

PREPARING  TO  LEAVE  NICHOLAS— STRANGERS  ARRIVE — 
NICODEMUS  ESCORTS  THEM— THEIR  IDENTITY  RE- 
VEALED—CONCLUSION   462 


ILLUST  RATIONS. 

NICHOLAS  COMENIUS Frontispiece. 

Gov.  ANDREW  G.  CURTIN .....    xiv 

THE  NEW  AND  THE  OLD xxii 

NICHOLAS  LEAVING  THE  COURT  HOUSE  AFTER  HIS  DEFEAT.    1 2 

PESTALOZZI  IN  HIS  SCHOOL  AT  STANZ 14 

HOSPITABLE  CORNELIUS 20 

ZACCH^US  AND  THE  TELESCOPE 23 

THE  MAP  AGENT 28 

THE  BLACK  BEAUTIES 42 

NICHOLAS  AWAKENS  HONEST  STEPHEN 86 


Contents.  xiii 

PAGE 

THE  SMITH  SHOP 107 

BUND  TOM'S  SCHOOL-HOUSE  .       112 

PACKET  LINE  MAIL  COACH  No.  10 120 

IN  THE  COURT  HOUSE  CORRIDOR 146 

NICHOLAS  INVITED  TO  A  SEAT 160 

NICHOLAS  ENTERING  THE  SITTING-ROOM £96 

NICHOLAS  TAKEN  BY  STORM 206 

NICHOLAS  ADDRESSES  THE  INSTITUTE 210 

THE  SCHOOL-HOUSE  UNDER  THE  OAK 220 

Gov.  GEORGE  WOLF 236 

THADDEUS  STEVENS 238 

Gov.  JOSEPH  RITNER 240 

THOMAS  H.  BURROWES 242 

THE  OLD  MASTERS  UNDER  THE  OAK 266 

THE  ORDEAL  BEGINS 268 

ORLANDO  HOSKINS 308 

HANNAH  DIRECTS  ROBERT  TO  THE  INN 312 

ROBERT  AT  THE  GENERAL  WASHINGTON 314 

"CLOSED  FOR  INSUBORDINATION" 323 

ROBERT  SEES  EMDEN  FAIR 328 

ROBERT  DEFENDS  HIMSELF    . 341 

MOTHER  BENTON  SETS  ASIDE  THE  VERDICT 346 

NICHOLAS  COMMISSIONED  SUPERINTENDENT 366 

RETURNED  FROM  THE  CHURCHYARD 368 

THE  ASCENSION  DOES  NOT  TAKE  PLACE 376 

OSCAR  RETURNS  TO  AMELIA 381 

TRIAL  OF  ORLANDO  HOSKINS .   .  426 

THE  BURIAL  OF  MY.RA , 440 

4 'BLESSED  ARE  THE  PEACEMAKERS" 442 

WEDDING  UNDER  THE  MAY-POLE 458 

FRIENDS  REUNITED , ,  .  .  468 


(xtv) 


GOV.  ANPRSW  G,   CUFXTN, 


INTRODUCTION. 


SOMETIMES  one  wishes  there  was  less  truth  in  the 
old  saying  "of  the  making  of  books  there  is  no 
end"  (Eccl.  xii.  12),  so  many  books  are  made  of 
nothing  and  for  nothing  and  get  nowhere.  The 
book  here  presented  is  not  .of  that  class.  In  my 
judgment  it  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  our  educa- 
tional literature,  because  the  incidents  and  the  pictures 
which  it  gives  of  bygone  days,  show  wherein  true 
progress  has  been  made.  Every  chapter  bears  evi- 
dence of  the  author's  desire  to  preserve  in  the  form  of 
anecdote  and  story  the  things  connected  with  our  edu- 
cational history  which  are  rapidly  passing  into  ob- 
livion. In  a  pleasant  way  he  seeks  to  teach  the  lesson 
that  the  new  is  not  to  be  accepted  without  question 
because  it  is  new,  nor  is  the  old  to  be  rejected  because 
it  is  old.  True  progress  is  made  by  pointing  out  and 
eliminating  the  defects  of  the  present  and  by  preserv- 
ing and  perpetuating  at  the  same  time  the  essence  of 
what  the  past  and  the  present  have  achieved  and  are 
achieving  for  the  benefit  of  future  generations. 

The  author  is  fond  of  the  old,  and  seeks  to  do  justice 
to  the  men  of  former  days.  He  exposes  their  follies, 
prejudices  and  superstitions,  and  yet  credits  them  with 
good  sense  in  accepting  the  new  after  they  saw  its  real 


xvi  Introduction. 

merit  and  superiority.  If  here  and  there  he  seems  to 
lean  too  strongly  toward  the  older  period,  it  is  an 
amiable  weakness  in  contrast  with  the  current  methods 
of  heralding  what  are  claimed  as  discoveries  and 
reforms. 

The  sketches  strung  upon  the  thread  of  Nicholas 
Comenius'  narrative  are  true  to  life,  as  many  of  the 
older  readers  will  recognize;  to  the  younger  genera- 
tion they  will  be  ancient  history  in  a  form  that  they 
too  will  enjoy,  and  from  which  they  can  scarcely  fail 
to  draw  the  lesson  which  the  author  means  to  teach. 

Here  and  there  the  characters  may  be  somewhat 
exaggerated,  especially  where  the  humorous  side  of 
the  author  came  uppermost,  but  even  this  adds  to  the 
originality  and  piquancy  of  the  whole. 

The  story  of  Robert  and  Hannah  is  suited  to  the 
taste  of  a  class  of  readers— we  are  glad  to  believe  a 
growing  one — who  do  not  read  for  excitement  so  much 
as  for  quiet  enjoyment;  and  in  this  we  find  good 
judgment. 

If  the  criticisms  on  some  forms  of  our  educational 
system  seem  severe,  we  may  remember  that  the  author 
knows  whereof  he  speaks,  and  that  in  this  as  in  other 
fields,  "  all  is  not  gold  that  glitters." 

The  strictures  upon  the  method  of  conducting  the 
county  institute  deserve  the  attention  of  those  en- 
trusted with  the  management  of  these  annual  gather- 
ings. Pennsylvania  has  the  best  system  of  institutes 
that  can  be  found  anywhere  in  the  United  States;  but 
it  would  be  folly  to  claim  that  no  improvement  is  pos- 
sible in  the  method  of  conducting  them,  or  in  the 
quality  of  the  instruction  that  is  given  by  the  lecturers. 


Introduction.  xvii 

The  anecdote  in  which  the  book  agent  wins  the 
School  Board  by  the  judicious  present  of  a  book,  is 
inimitable.  It  is  indeed  difficult  to  determine  where 
legitimate  influence  stops  and  bribery  begins.  The 
present  of  a  drink  or  of  a  cigar,  of  a  hospitable  meal 
or  of  a  free  car  ride,  may  be  in  essence  of  the  same 
nature  as  the  bribe  which  secures  pernicious  legisla- 
tion or  large  appropriations.  That  this  sin  should 
have  crept  into  our  School  Boards  and  thus  poisoned 
the  very  fountains  of  our  system  of  public  instruction, 
may  well  cause  the  friends  of  popular  government  to 
sit  like  Marius  and  meditate  upon  the  future  of  the 
republic. 

Tricks  at  examinations  belong  to  the  lower  type  of 
school  morality.  A  higher  stage  in  the  growth  of  the 
will  is  reached  when  the  idea  of  right  inspires  the 
teacher  and  his  pupils  and  enables  them  to  say:  "I 
would  sooner  fail  than  cheat.0  The  school  must 
cause  those  connected  with  our  system  of  public  in- 
struction to  value  right  above  success;  otherwise  we 
cannot  hope  for  the  revival  of  an  order  of  statesmen 
who  "  would  sooner  be  right  than  President. " 

Ignorance  is  the  mother  of  superstition.  Although 
the  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania  never  burned  witches 
at  the  stake,  they  cherished  many  superstitions  of 
which  sad  traces  still  remain  in  the  life  of  the  people. 
The  closing  chapters  of  the  book  show  how  a  good 
teacher  may  revolutionize  the  thinking  of  a  com- 
munity; how  sound  knowledge  gradually  dissipates 
prejudice  and  superstition,  and  silently  begets  higher 
forms  of  piety  and  religious  life. 

The  chief  merit  of  the  book  lies  in  the  fact  that  it 


xviii  Introduction. 

pours  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  two  most  critical 
periods  in  the  educational  history  of  Pennsylvania. 
One  of  these  culminated  in  a  victory  that  was  achieved 
not  by  the  sword,  but  by  the  greatest  speech  Thad- 
deus  Stevens  ever  made.  The  other  came  with  the 
creation  of  the  County  Superintendency  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  our  system  of  State  Normal  schools. 
While  the  Act  of  1854  was  pending,  Henry  Barnard 
examined  its  provisions  and  assured  its  friends  that  if 
it  should  become  a  law,  Pennsylvania  would  have  the 
best  common  school  system  of  any  state  in  the  Union. 
Ex-State  Supt.  H.  C.  Hickock  calls  this  period  "one 
of  the  most  disturbed  and  difficult  and  critical  periods 
ever  known  in  our  school  history.  Its  like  can  never 
be  seen  again."  Effort  after  effort  was  made  to 
abolish  the  office  of  County  Superintendent. 

The  fact  that  Gov.  Bigler  had  signed  the  Act  of 
1854  helped  to  defeat  him  at  the  next  election,  and  his 
successor,  Gov.  Pollock,  in  speaking  of  the  pressure 
upon  him,  remarked  that  it  was  about  as  much  as  a 
man's  life  was  worth  to  stand  by  the  County  Superin- 
tendency at  that  period.  It  was  also  during  Gov. 
Pollock's  administration  that  the  fight  for  Normal 
schools  was  made.  The  character  of  *this  fight  is  not 
as  well  understood  as  it  should  be,  and  a  few  details 
will  help  the  reader  to  appreciate  the  situation.  The 
Act  creating  State  Normal  schools  was  drawn  in  an 
emergency  on  a  Sunday  by  Dr.  Burrowes,  and  was  put 
through  the  House  by  Andrew  G.  Curtin,  then  ex- 
officio  Superintendent  of  Common  Schools,  and  by  his 
deputy,  H.  C.  Hickok,  under  the  most  adverse  cir- 
cumstances. It  had  passed  the  Senate  without  a  dis- 


Introduction.  xix 

senting  vote.  "It  so  happened,"  says  Mr.  Hickok, 
"that  the  bill  could  not  be  called  up  for  consideration 
until  the  last  day  of  the  session  on  which  bills  could 
be  considered,  and  there  were  a  number  of  important 
bills  in  which  leading  members  were  interested  that 
were  before  it.  Mr.  Curtin  in  consultation  with  the 
Speaker  and  Committee  on  Education,  and  other  friends 
of  the  cause  in  the  House,  arranged  to  have  the  Nor- 
mal school  bill  taken  up  on  motion  out  of  its  order, 
and  had  as  he  believed  secured  votes  enough  to  sus- 
tain the  motion.  .  .  .  The  leader  of  the  House,  Mr. 
Foster,  a  liberally  educated  gentleman  of  great  influ- 
ence, and  a  good  common  school  man  in  a  general 
way,  had  an  important  bill  of  his  own  on  the  calendar, 
and  was  not  likely  to  yield  precedence  to  the  Normal 
school  bill  without  a  struggle,  in  which  case  the  odds 
would  be  heavily  against  us.  Although  politically 
opposed,  Mr.  Curtin  and  Mr.  Foster  were  warm  per- 
sonal friends,  and  Curtin  took  it  upon  himself  to  hold 
Mr.  Foster  in  check  if  possible  until  the  required  forms 
of  legislation  could  be  gone  through  with.  When  the 
time  came  for  action,  Mr.  Curtin  and  Mr.  Foster  were 
standing  in  the  aisle  near  Mr.  Foster's  desk,  engaged 
in  earnest  conversation.  The  motion  to  take  up  the 
Normal  school  bill  was  instantly  challenged  by  a  call 
for  the  yeas  and  nays,  but  being  carried,  the  Clerk, 
Captain  Jacob  Ziegler,  who  was  in  the  secret,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  second  reading  of  the  bill,  which  being  a 
long  one,  took  some  time,  although  rapidly  done. 
Mr.  Foster  became  very  restive  before  it  was  com- 
pleted, and  turned  to  the  Speaker  twice  to  move  its 
indefinite  postponement;  but  Mr.  Curtin,  with  court- 


%%  Introduction. 

eous  insistence,  persuaded  him  to  let  the  reading  go 
on,  as  the  bill  would  be  through  in  a  very  few  minutes. 
The  House  was  very  still  during  the  reading,  and 
many  curious  eyes  were  turned  toward  those  two  dis- 
tinguished gentlemen  conversing  so  earnestly,  but 
very  few  knew  what  that  colloquy  meant.  They  had 
before  them  the  remarkable  spectacle  of  the  premier 
of  an  administration  standing  on  the  floor  of  an  oppo- 
sition House,  holding  the  opposition  leader  under 
moral  duress  against  his  will  while  passing  a  bill  over 
his  head — a  piece  of  diplomatic  audacity,  skill  and  suc- 
cess without  a  parallel  in  parliamentary  history  that  I 
ever  heard  of.  .  .  .  If  the  bill  had  not  passed  at  that 
session,  it  would  not  have  been  passed  to  this  day;  be- 
cause by  the  next  session  combinations  would  have 
been  made  amongst  the  higher  institutions  of  learning 
and  some  potential  friends  of  education  to  compass  its 
defeat  or  make  sweeping  changes  in  its  character  and 
provisions,  whether  for  the  better  or  not  cannot  here 
be  discussed." 

Two  Governors,  Wolf  and  Bigler,  failed  to  be  re- 
elected  largely  on  account  of  the  stand  which  they  had 
taken  in  the  interest  of  common  schools.  In  each  in- 
stance, their  successors,  Ritner  and  Pollock  respect- 
ively, although  of  opposite  political  faith,  took  up  the 
work  in  spite  of  popular  clamor  and  the  most  bitter 
opposition,  and  carried  it  forward  to  the  lasting  benefit 
of  posterity.  Thaddeus  Stevens,  although  elected  on 
an  anti -school  ticket,  saved  the  system  by  his  elo- 
quence and  his  logic,  and  proved  that  although  a  poor 
plank  in  a  platform  may  be  helpful  in  stepping  into 
office,  it  is  not  a  good  thing  to  stand  on  after  the  ship 


Introduction.  xxi 

of  state  is  moving  forward.  At  a  later  day,  Andrew7 
G.  Curtin,  by  work  more  effective  than  oratory,  saved 
the  County  Superintendency  and  paved  the  way  for 
the  establishment  of  our  splendid  system  of  State 
Normal  schools.  If  a  politician  differs  from  a  states- 
man in  that  the  former  looks  forward  to  the  next 
election,  while  the  latter  looks  toward  the  next  gener- 
ation, then  surely  Wolf  and  Ritner  and  Stevens  and 
Curtin  deserve  to  rank  as  statesmen. 

Through  the  epoch-making  period  in  which  these  men 
were  the  moulding  factors  of  our  educational  history, 
the  author  of  this  book  asks  the  reader  to  follow  the  nar- 
rative of  Nicholas  Comenius,  who  was  an  interested  eye- 
witness of  the  first  examination  in  which  the  County 
Superintendent  took  the  place  of  the  Squire  and  the 
Committeemen  of  former  days.  That  other  states  are 
now  following  the  Pennsylvania  plan  of  prescribing  lit- 
erary and  professional  qualifications  for  those  who  hold 
the  office  of  County  Superintendent,  argues  well  for  the 
wisdom  of  the  men  who  framed  the  Act  of  1854,  and 
lends  additional  interest  to  the  portions  of  the  book 
which  bear  upon  this  epoch  in  our  educational  history. 

The  author  of  Nicholas  Comenius  deserves  the  special 
gratitude  of  those  who  feel  an  interest  in  rescuing 
from  oblivion  the  factors  that  gave  us  our  beneficent 
system  of  Common  Schools. 

NATHAN  C. 

Department  of  Public  Instruction, 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  July  13,  fSpy. 

{  UNIVERSITY 
^UFtRHjj 


xxii) 


THE;  NEW  AND  THE 


NICHOLAS  COMENIUS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM   THE   OLD   TO  THE   NEW. 

IT  was  the  year  that  marked  the  sixtieth  anni- 
versary of  the  adoption  of  the  Common  School 
System  in  Pennsylvania.  Around  the  old  Court 
House  in  the  metropolis  of  Blackwell  county  had 
congregated,  on  a  bright,  crisp  November  morning, 
a  throng  of  young  men  and  women,  exchanging 
greetings  and  congratulating  themselves  upon  the 
prospect  of  a  week  of  professional  work  and  enter- 
tainment. They  were  teachers  gathered  from  all 
parts  of  a  great  county,  in  attendance  at  the 
Annual  Teachers'  Institute. 

Beyond  the  mirth  in  store  for  them  and  the  fond 
dreams  of  pleasant  associations  to  be  found,  their 
thoughts  did  not  seem  to  wander.  They  had  sev- 
ered the  ties  of  the  school-room,  at  least  for  a 
season,  and  come  forth  with  joyous  hearts  to  enter 
a  new  field  of  intellectual  activity. 

The  cosy,  well-equipped  rural  school  far  away  on 
some  lone  hillside,  and  the  numerous  little  temples 

i 


2  Nicholas  Comenius. 

of  learning-  dotted  here  and  there  over  the  broad 
acres  of  Blackwell  county,  stood  deserted  and  for- 
saken during  this  bounteous  Thanksgiving  week. 
The  merry  voices  and  the  gay  shouts  of  laughter 
of  the  little  ones  were  no  longer  to  be  heard  on  the 
playground.  Their  books  were  resting  high  up  on 
the  shelf  in  the  sitting-room  of  the  unpretentious 
homestead,  out  of  reach ;  while  the  boys  and  girls, 
forgetful  of  their  daily  tasks,  were  playing  hide- 
and-seek  around  the  shocks  of  golden  fodder. 

Only  an  occasional  constituent,  on  his  way  to 
partake  of  a  neighbor's  Thanksgiving  hospitality, 
would  stop  in  front  of  some  deserted  school-house 
and  wonder  how  the  teacher's  stock  of  new-fangled 
notions  was  to  compensate  for  the  increased  tax-rate 
and  a  week's  time  frittered  away  at  the  teachers' 
meeting.  But  the  young  educators  of  Blackwell 
county,  buoyed  up  with  the  last  month's  salary  and 
the  pleasures  that  only  a  week's  professional  enjoy- 
ment can  give,  gave  little  heed  to  their  far-off 
routine  of  duty. 

The  antiquated  Court  House,  in  which  many  a 
hotly-contested  legal  battle  had  been  fought,  around 
which  tradition  still  lingers,  was  the  center  of  at- 
traction. Within  its  time-stained  walls  had  con- 
gregated a  fair  percentage  of  the  teaching  force  of 
a  great  Commonwealth.  Its  interior  was  tastefully 
decorated  with  choice  flowers  and  evergreens,  while 
directly  over  the  judicial  altar  was  suspended  the 
American  flag — emblem  of  our  cherished  liberties. 


From  Old  to  New.  3 

But  aside  from  these  decorations,  the  old  flag, 
and  a  few  patriotic  remarks,  was  there  anything  of 
such  special  importance  as  to  give  to  this  reunion 
precedence  over  that  of  the  year  previous  ?  At  all 
events,  it  was  such  a  gathering  of  enthusiastic 
teachers,  as  in  the  judgment  of  the  young  superin- 
tendent was  best  adapted  to  the  county  in  which  it 
was  held.  The  programme  was  of  the  pre-arranged 
stereotyped  order,  and  when  set  in  motion  by  the 
presiding  officer,  moved  with  the  regularity  of 
well-adjusted  mechanism.  The  list  of  professional 
instructors  was  in  many  respects  the  best  the 
Literary  Bureau  could  command  or  the  institute 
afford  ;  while  the  only  conditions  imposed  upon  the 
members  were  first,  the  annual  membership  fee, 
and  second,  prompt  daily  attendance. 

Some  years  previous,  a  change  had  taken  place 
in  the  management  of  the  schools  of  the  county. 
Nicholas  Comenius,  who  had  held  the  position  of 
Superintendent,  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
interval,  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  from  the 
date  of  the  act  creating  the  office,  having  failed  to 
keep  in  touch  with  the  advanced  public  sentiment 
the  spirit  of  the  times  seemed  to  demand,  had  been 
ruthlessly  thrust  aside,  and  a  young  Normal  School 
graduate  elected  in  his  place.  At  many  consecu- 
tive elections  in  that  long  series  of  years,  Nicholas 
Comenius  had  been  his  own  worthy  successor;  but 
after  his  defeat  the  tenure  of  each  superintendent 
was  limited  to  a  single  term.  This  triennial  rota- 


4  Nicholas  Comenius. 

tion,  in  a  most  responsible  office,  was  due  in  part 
to  the  large  number  of  political  aspirants,  with 
whom  qualification  is  always  of  secondary  import- 
ance, but  in  the  main  to  that  peculiar  tendency  in 
the  human  mind  to  oscillate  from  one  extreme  to 
the  other ;  to  that  untiring  zeal  after  the  unattain- 
able, that  causes  men  to  transcend  the  bounds  of 
experience  and  prudence.  One  class  proposed  to 
root  out  the  very  last  remnant  of  old-fogy  ism, 
whether  relating  to  teacher  or  director,  to  make 
room  for  the  new  ;  to  remove  the  landmarks  set  by 
the  wisdom  of  the  past,  and  erect  them  on  new 
lines  of  advanced  thought.  Another,  and  the  more 
numerous  class,  argued  that  no  system  of  education 
was  useful  except  the  practical  kind — that  which 
had  for  its  ultimate  object  and  aim,  pecuniary  gain. 
A  few,  however,  believed  that  education  based 
merely  on  the  accumulation  of  wealth  was  in  direct 
conflict  with  the  spirit,  if  not  the  letter,  of  the  act 
creating  the  common  school  system.  Between 
these  conflicting  opinions  the  constituents  of  Black- 
well  county  found  themselves  at  the  close  of  the 
official  career  of  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Whatever  may  -have  been  the  shortcomings  of 
Nicholas,  he  was  in  the  broadest  sense  of  the  word 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  system.  There  was 
neither  system,  classification,  nor  unity  of  action 
on  the  part  of  the  directorship,  nor  a  progressive 
public  school  sentiment  on  the  part  of  the  masses. 
There  were  times,  indeed,  when  Nicholas  was  wont 


From  Old  to  New.  5 

to  say,  "  Truly  the  lights  are  dim,  the  foundations 
insecure,  and  nothing  seems  certain  save  the  un- 
certainty that  everywhere  prevails."  To  harmon- 
ize conflicting  opinions,  to  go  forth  like  the  early 
missionary,  preaching  the  light  of  the  new  doctrine 
on  highway  and  byway,  among  the  rich  and  the 
poor,  the  ignorant  and  the  learned,  was  the  mission 
of  Nicholas  Comenius.  The  wrath  which  the 
various  acts  of  the  Legislature  passed  from  time  to 
time  had  engendered  among  the  masses,  found 
vent  at  times  and  fell  with  crushing  force  on  the 
head  of  this  public  benefactor.  He,  however, 
never  took  a  backward  step,  but  like  a  faithful 
pioneer,  kept  straight  on  in  the  line  of  his  profes- 
sional duties  as  he  understood  them. 

Nicholas  Comenius,  who  claimed  to  be  the  lineal 
descendant  of  the  distinguished  John  Amos  Come- 
nius, had  received  more  than  an  average  education. 
Being  a  favorite  with  old  Jimmy,  the  master  of  the 
school  at  Emden,  he  continued  to  plod  along  within 
its  dusky  walls  until  he  had  passed  well  into  his 
teens.  It  was  then  that  fortune  favored  young 
Nicholas,  despite  the  general  protest  of  the  rural 
population.  After  leaving  the  village  school, 
Nicholas  Comenius  fell  heir  to  the  proud  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  only  country  lad  of  Emden  who 
had  ever  been  permitted  to  attend  a  distant  acade- 
mic institution.  This  special  privilege  accorded 
him  was  due  more  to  the  noble  name  he  bore  than 
to  any  special  desire  on  the  part  of  his  parents  to 


6  Nicholas  Comenius. 

favor  such  a  course  of  instruction.  Indeed,  the 
tendency  of  the  times  was  directly  the  opposite; 
for  the  thrifty  settlers  at  that  early  day  were  con- 
tent to  live  within  themselves  and  for  themselves, 
having  their  own  peculiar  customs,  traditions  and 
local  history,  and  caring  little  for  the  bustling 
world  without.  A  common  bond  of  good  fellow- 
ship, a  generous  hospitality,  a  deep  affection  for  all 
old-time  customs  and  a  marked  respect  for  old  age, 
were  virtues  of  which  these  people  could  rightfully 
boast.  It  was  this  reverence  for  the  traditions  of 
other  days,  and  especially  for  that  staid  old  philo- 
sopher of  the  sixteenth  century,  that  gave  to  young 
Comenius  a  standing  in  the  community  that  he 
could  have  attained  in  no  other  way.  It  was  but 
natural,  then,  that  Nicholas  as  he  grew  in  years 
should  appreciate  the  distinction  accorded*  him,  for 
the  name  of  Comenius  was  a  household  word, 
revered  by  these  sturdy  tillers  of  the  soil. 

It  is  not,  however,  to  the  early  period  immedi- 
ately preceding  the  adoption  of  the  new  school 
system,  nor  to  that  somewhat  later  period  when 
Nicholas  Comenius  was  monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veyed, that  I  would  now  direct  the  attention  of  the 
reader,  but  rather  to  a  time  when  the  new  condi- 
tions were  pressing  hard  upon  the  old,  and  when 
self-preservation  with  him  became  indeed  the  first 
law  of  nature. 

Opposition  had  now  begun  to  manifest  itself 
from  a  source  wholly  unexpected.  If  there  was 


From  Old  to  New.  7 

one  thing  in  the  work  of  Comenius  on  which  he 
prided  himself  more  than  any  other,  it  was  his 
manner  of  conducting  the  County  Institute.  Econ- 
omy with  Nicholas  was  neither  a  penny-wise  nor  a 
pound-foolish  theory.  He  was  an  ardent,  firm  be- 
liever in  the  principle  that  on  all  important  ques- 
tions pertaining  to  the  practice  and  theory  of 
teaching,  careful,  thoughtful  conference  of  one 
teacher  with  another  always  produced  the  best  re- 
sults; and  in  this  view  he  was  at  all  times  sustained 
by  the  great  majority,  at  least  of  the  older  teachers. 
Nicholas,  in  justification  of  his  course,  was  at  all 
times  prepared  to  back  up  his  arguments  by  excel- 
lent authorities,  among  whom  none  stood  higher 
than  his  ancestor,  John  Amos  Comenius,  whose  life 
and  example  he  had  ever  held  as  the  ne  plus  ultra 
of  all  that  was  truly  noble  and  enduring.  But 
Nicholas  failed  to  realize  that  among  the  new  con- 
ditions that  were  forging  their  way  to  the  front,  the 
teachings  of  that  staid  old  philosopher  had  few 
advocates.  And  so,  when  the  Literary  Bureau 
directed  his  attention  from  time  to  time  to  the 
growing  wants  of  the  system  and  the  beneficial 
effects  resulting  from  the  employment  of  a  corps  of 
highly  eminent  instructors  from  abroad,  Nicholas 
only  smiled,  shook  his  head,  and  continued  in  the 
line  of  his  professional  work.  It  was  strongly  inti- 
mated in  many  of  these  gratuitous  communications 
that  the  old  man  was  steering  dangerously  close  to 
the  dead  line,  and  that  to  prevent  a  fatal  collapse 


8  Nicholas  Comenius. 

or  early  disintegration  of  the  entire  educational 
fabric,  a  living,  vital  force  was  necessary.  It  was 
also  pointed  out,  in  unmistakable  language,  that 
too  great  a  percentage  of  old  fossils  was  to  be  found 
in  the  ranks  of  the  profession,  in  a  county  esteemed 
for  its  general  intelligence  in  other  directions.  It 
was  even  intimated  that  a  radical  change  in  the 
personnel  of  the  institute  was  most  desirable ;  and 
that  the  pruning-knife  should  be  brought  into  ser- 
vice, and  much  of  the  dead  timber  that  for  years 
had  proven  a  hindrance  to  a  vigorous,  healthy 
growth  of  the  system,  should  be  lopped  off.  In 
fact,  the  day  came  when  the  institute  of  Nicholas 
Comenius  was  spoken  of  at  all  modernly  equipped 
teachers'  meetings,  as  "a  thing  of  the  past,"  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  practical  results 
attained,  as  shown  in  the  various  schools  of  the 
county,  were  of  the  highest  order.  While  Nicholas 
Comenius,  now  well  up  in  years,  had  a  profound 
respect  for  the  young  Normal  School  graduate, 
there  lingered  in  the  bosom  of  this  faithful  public 
servant  a  mine  of  pure  love  for  the  little  army  of 
old  schoolmasters  who  had  grown  gray  in  the 
service.  Nicholas  was  in  no  sense  of  the  word  u  a 
back  number."  He  fully  appreciated  the  growing 
wants  of  the  system,  but  he  was,  at  the  same  time, 
loath  to  break  in  on  a  class  of  old  teachers  in  any 
single  locality,  when  he  felt  assured  that  honest 
service  was  being  rendered  alike  to  rich  and  poor. 
Nicholas  Comenius,  in  the  goodness  of  his 


From  Old  to  New.  g 

rugged  nature,  may  have  discriminated  at  times  in 
favor  of  some  old  veteran,  with  a  big  heart  and  a 
growing  family ;  but  he  always  satisfied  his  con- 
science with  the  thought  that  the  young  could 
afford  to  wait,  at  least  until  they  had  reached  the 
years  of  discretion.  But  above  all  these  minor 
considerations,  to  Nicholas  important  in  them- 
selves, there  were  other  binding  ties — associations 
of  a  personal  nature — that  he  could  not  overlook. 
For  had  Comenius  not  lived  through  that  exciting 
period  that  gave  birth  to  the  Common  School  sys- 
tem? Was  he  not  the  same  Nicholas  who  was  a 
living  witness  of  the  first  public  examination  ever 
held  in  the  little  red  sandstone  school  house  at 
Emden,  in  1854,  by  one  who  held  the  position  of 
superintendent  but  one  short  year,  and  who,  in  the 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  office,  had  laid  down 
his  young  life  for  the  cause  he  so  much  loved? 
Had  he  not  seen  the  eight  old  masters  thrust  into 
the  cold  world  by  one  sweep  of  the  pen,  to  make 
room  for  an  equal  number  of  New  England  pro- 
fessors? Could  these  early  impressions  ever  be 
entirely  eliminated  from  his  memory  ? 

Dear  reader,  have  you  ever  taught  a  district 
school  in  some  remote  place,  far  away  from  kind 
friends  and  among  strangers,  where  a  familiar  face 
is  seldom  if  ever  seen?  If  so,  can  you  recall  the 
first  visitation  by  the  county  superintendent — more 
especially  if  he  were  one  of  those  big-hearted  men 
whose  very  presence  is  an  inspiration  to  all  that  is 


io  Nicholas  Comenius. 

good  and  noble?  Then  you  can  appreciate  the 
emotions  of  many  another  lone  schoolmaster  when 
brought  into  communion  with  the  object  of  many 
longing  desires.  Have  you  ever  known  a  Nicholas 
Comenius,  as  kind  and  loving  in  his  rugged  nature 
as  a  child,  and  yet  as  broad,  as  brilliant  and  as 
comprehensive  as  it  seems  possible  for  man  to  be- 
come? Has  such  a  broad  and  loving  nature  ever 
come  in  upon  your  little  school  on  a  cold  bleak 
February  day?  Can  you,  if  teacher  you  be  or  have 
been,  picture  a  scene  in  life's  battle  around  which 
cluster  more  endearing  reminiscences  of  by-gone 
days?  Did  you  forget  to  offer  him  the  old  arm- 
chair as  you  stirred  up  the  half-dead  coals  in  the 
stove  beside  which  you  asked  him  to  sit?  Did  you 
feel  his  magnetic  influence  as  it  permeated  and 
electrified  the  whole  school?  The  parental  in- 
fluence of  home  life  may  be  sacred  and  lasting,  but 
that  of  the  school-room,  under  such  hallowed  sur- 
roundings, has  no  parallel  in  the  broad  field  of 
child  nature.  The  tender  and  generous  impulses 
unconsciously  displayed  in  early  manhood  or 
womanhood  may  for  the  time  be  forgotten  ;  but  as 
years  roll  on  they  will  as  surely  return  as  the  sun 
after  a  passing  cloud.  The  world  may  never  know 
and  perhaps  little  cares  to  learn  the  true  relation- 
ship which  existed  between  Nicholas  Comenius 
and  many  an  old-time  schoolmaster,  when  he 
directed,  as  superintendent,  the  school  affairs  of 
Blackwell  county. 


From  Old  to  New.  1 1 

But  as  has  been  said,  the  time  came  at  last  when 
Nicholas  Comenius  was  to  transfer  the  mantle  of 
his  authority  to  one  younger  in  years  and  more 
closely  in  touch  with  the  advanced  public  school 
sentiment  the  times  seemed  to  demand.  Was 
there  sympathy  for  Nicholas  when  the  vote  was 
counted  and  the  result  announced?  It  was  not 
sympathy  for  himself  that  Nicholas  wanted.  He 
had  simply  done  his  duty  as  he  understood  it,  and 
accepted  the  result  when  it  came  with  that  perfect 
inner  contentment  that  duty  well  performed  al- 
ways brings.  Were  tears  shed  when  Nicholas 
passed  through  the  doorway  and  down  the  great 
stone  steps  ?  Yes,  tears  of  rejoicing  and  tears  of 
sorrow — rejoicing  by  the  younger  teachers,  who 
felt  that  a  new  era  had  at  last  dawned  on  the  pro- 
fession ;  sorrow  by  the  old  masters  for  their  head 
and  chief.  The  defeat  of  Nicholas  Comenius,  they 
felt,  carried  with  it  a  meaning  that  could  not  be 
mistaken.  It  was  the  handwriting  on  the  wall, 
the  passing  away  of  the  Old,  the  incoming  of  the 
New.  When  Comenius  passed  out  of  the  active 
professional  work  of  the  superintendency,  he  had 
also  passed  beyond  his  three-score,  the  allotted 
time  of  most  men,  especially  in  the  field  of  active 
life  as  educators.  And  so  within  a  few  brief  years 
thereafter,  the  last  old  master  disappeared  from  the 
rural  school,  leaving  Nicholas  to  be  remembered 
only  by  the  few  who  yet  lingered  among  men. 
How  few  of  the  hundreds  of  young  teachers  in 


!  ^^-c_> 


1  1  !  f  f 


From  Old  to  New.  1 3 

attendance  at  the  institute  could  recall  even  the 
name  of  Nicholas  Comenius  !  And  who  can  won- 
der at  this,  when  we  see  how  great  had  been  the 
change  in  the  educational  world  which  left  him 
the  representative  of  the  Old,  while  these  young 
people  aspired  to  be  considered  typical  of  the  New? 

For  a  new  era  had  truly  dawned  upon  the  Penn- 
sylvania teacher.  The  old  educational  ship,  in  the 
opinion  of  many,  had  become  waterlogged  and 
loaded  down  with  antiquated  ideas  and  discarded 
methods.  Having  undergone  extensive  alterations 
and  repairs,  the  anchor  was  now  to  be  raised  and 
the  double  rigged,  modernly  equipped  vessel 
launched  forth  on  an  experimental  sea  of  un- 
certainty. The  few  remaining  trusty  old  seamen 
were  either  superseded  at"  the  very  outstart,  or 
thrust  overboard  at  the  first  opportune  moment. 

This  new  educational  ship,  in  its  onward  course, 
was  no  longer  to  be  guided  by  the  teachings  and 
experiences  of  such  old  mariners  as  Pestalozzi, 
Froebel  and  Krusi,  those  master  minds  of  nearly 
two  centuries  before,  who  had  given  to  the  world 
the  very  highest  conceptions  of  child  nature  and 
child  culture.  A  younger  generation  of  teachers 
had  now  taken  possession  of  the  helm,  and  in  their 
superior  wisdom  were  to  be  guided  in  the  future 
by  a  theoretical  compass  and  the  modern  text-book. 
Whatever  inspiration  Pestalozzi' s  little  school  at 
Stanz  may  have  thrown  around  the  old  school- 
masters of  earlier  years,  was  now  to  be  swept  aside. 


From  Old  to  New.  1 5 

These  were  the  conditions,  dear  reader,  that  pre- 
vailed in  the  closing  years  of  the  official  career  of 
the  venerable  Nicholas  Comenins.  But,  far  off  in 
the  distant  horizon,  under  the  guiding  star  of  a 
trusty  captain,  we  now  may  see  the  dim  outlines  of 
the  old  educational  ship  returning  to  the  harbor  of 
its  earlier  days.  Let  us  hope  that  the  life,  the 
light  and  the  inspiration  which  hovered  around  the 
school  of  Pestalozzi  may  yet  serve  to  guide  the  old 
ship  in  the  direction  of  a  more  permanent  and 
lasting  future. 

But  in  this  stirring  age  of  future  possibilities, 
how  many  of  my  younger  readers,  following  the 
example  of  the  antiquarian,  who  delves  among 
buried  cities  in  search  of  some  lost  art  or  hidden 
treasure,  stand  ready  to  buckle  on  the  armor  of  in- 
vestigation and  follow  Comenius  down  this  en- 
chanted highway  to  the  birth  of  the  new  system? 
And  how  many,  having  resolved  to  make  the  jour- 
ney, will  have  the  fortitude  to  continue  to  the  end? 
A  few,  no  doubt,  will  make  the  attempt ;  here  and 
there  one  genial  spirit  may  be  found  willing  to 
complete  a  chapter  or  two,  and  then  turn  aside, 
leaving  the  task  to  be  completed  by  some  old-time 
pedagogue.  u  Life  is  too  short,"  says  one,  "  to 
waste  in  rummaging  through  the  cobwebs  of  an- 
tiquity." Another  shakes  his  head,  turns  his  back 
to  the  past,  and  rushes  forward  to  join  the  multi- 
tude in  its  onward  march  for  what  the  future  may 
have  in  store. 


1 6  Nicholas  Comemus. 

But,  dear  reader,  before  entering  on  our  journey, 
let  us  take  a  retrospective  view  of  the  educational 
pathway.  As  we  stand  upon  our  lofty  eminence 
and  survey  this  extended  avenue,  what  a  panorama 
is  spread  before  the  patient  and  observant  reader ! 
Midway  in  the  distance  we  behold  the  half-way 
mile-stone,  the  dividing  line  between  the  Old  and 
the  New.  Beyond  that  line  the  great  majority  of 
our  teachers  are  as  strangers  in  a  strange  land. 
Along  that  section  of  the  highway  of  time,  to  their 
young  minds  all  is  a  wilderness.  Here  and  there, 
it  is  true,  may  yet  be  seen  the  remnants  of  some 
long-since-abandoned  academic  institution,  and  by 
the  wayside  the  ruins  of  some  lone  school-house, 
but  the  last  old  schoolmaster  has  passed  away  for- 
ever. 

Ah,  but  let  us  reverse  the  search-light  of  in- 
vestigation and  throw  it  forward  upon  this,  the 
close  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  how  vastly 
different  are  the  conditions  to  be  met  on  every 
hand.  Along  this  modern  highway,  an  army  of 
young,  enthusiastic  teachers  from  the  thousands  of 
cosy,  well- equipped  rural  schools,  step  forward  to 
bid  us  welcome.  In  the  distance  loom  up  before 
us  the  Normal  schools,  so  bountifully  endowed  by 
a  generous  people,  and  from  whose  spacious  halls 
have  gone  forth  this  army  of  young  educators  to 
bless  the  land.  But  even  from  this  luminous  high- 
way, guarded  by  its  long  line  of  illustrious  senti- 
nels, branch  off  many  by-ways  and  cross-roads  that 


From  Old  to  New.  1 7 

modern  engineering  has  constructed.  Where  the 
sun  shines  brightest  are  many  blind  leaders  of  the 
blind,  wearing  the  garb  of  the  professional  teacher. 
Follow  the  footsteps  of  Nicholas  Comenius,  dear 
reader,  and  he  will  lead  you  in  safety  down  through 
the  sixty  years  of  that  exciting  period  that  gave 
birth  to  the  common  school  system. 
2 


CHAPTER  II. 

AN    UNPOPULAR     OFFICIAL — CORNELIUS    AND     HIS 
HOSPITALITY — ZACCHEUS  AND  THE    TELE- 
SCOPE— THE   MAP   AGENT. 

THE  recollections  and  experiences  of  Nicholas 
Comenius,  as  they  are  related  in  the  following 
chapters,  may  not  be  altogether  new  to  many  of  the 
older  teachers  who  have  passed  through  an  era 
contemporaneous  with  that  of  our  aged  historian. 

Here  and  there  in  the  Commonwealth  of  Penn- 
sylvania, a  few  old  residents  may  yet  be  found  who 
can  point,  with  more  or  less  pride,  if  not  to 
Nicholas  Comenius  in  person,  at  least  to  his  coun- 
terpart; for  the  Act  of  Assembly  that  forty  odd 
years  ago  created  the  Superintendency,  applied  to 
all  the  counties  of  the  State.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
in  three-fourths  of  the  districts,  a  large  majority  of 
the  rural  population  was  arrayed  in  open  opposi- 
tion, not  only  to  the  law  but  to  the  individual  in 
office  as  well.  There  was  no  one  single  official, 
with  the  possible  exception  of  the  tax  collector, 
that  was  more  intensely  hated.  Few  Superintend- 
ents were  fortunate  enough  to  escape  this  unreason- 
able crusade,  that  at  times  enlisted  the  sympathies 
18 


An  Unpopular  Official.  ig 

of  even  the  better  class  of  the  community.  An 
outward  expression  of  sympathy  in  favor  of  either 
the  law  or  the  man  in  office,  rendered  the  unfor- 
tunate individual  who  uttered  it,  whether  of  high 
or  low  degree,  an  object  of  ostracism.  Men  of  busi- 
ness, of  known  literary  taste  and  of  social  position, 
if  once  suspected  of  sympathizing  with  the  new 
system  of  education,  were  made  to  suffer  the  hate 
and  vengeance  of  the  anti-school  men.  More  than 
one  public  examination  was  broken  up  and  the 
Superintendent  driven  from  the  school-house  by  a 
squad  of  the  unruly  element,  equipped  with  drum, 
fife  and  horn,  in  defence  of  what  they  had  been  led 
to  believe  were  their  sacred  rights  and  franchises. 
Only  a  few  years  ago  what  a  volume  might  have 
been  written  by  many  of  these  faithful  pioneers. 
But,  alas !  most  of  them  have  passed  over  the  river 
of  time,  leaving  Comenius  and  his  few  remaining 
colleagues  as  the  last  frail  span  connecting  the  past 
with  the  present,  the  Old  with  the  New. 

Ah !  how  many  times  have  we  heard  him  relate 
his  personal  experiences  as  we  sat  beside  the  open 
fire  in  his  low  dingy  office,  on  his  return  from  one 
of  his  lonely  pilgrimages.  I  remember  one  eve- 
ning, after  glancing  over  his  note-book,  he  said: 

"  Made  up  my  mind  a  year  ago  that  I'd  have  to 
shelve  the  old  gentleman  at  my  next  visitation. 
You  see,  he's  been  a  little  careless  in  his  discipline, 
and  don't  appear  to  be  holding  up  his  end  of  the 
line  with  the  other  boys.  I  visited  his  school  the 


Hospitable  Cornelius.  21 

other  day,  but  couldn't  see  any  marked  change.  It 
was  an  awful  day,  my  friend — snowing  and  blow- 
ing, with  roads  blocked  and  night  coming  on,  and 
no  public  stopping-place  within  three  miles.  There 
we  stood  facing  each  other,  Cornelius  on  one  side 
of  the  wood  stove,  I  on  the  other,  while  Nelly,  the 
mare,  stood  without,  buried  to  her  hips  in  a  snow- 
drift. What  to  do  or  where  to  go? — that  was  what 
bothered  Nicholas,"  continued  he,  as  he  raked  the 
half-dead  coals  into  a  blaze.  "  Yes,  there  we  stood, 
peering  out  into  the  storm,  and  before  us,  huddled 
together  on  the  long  bench,  sat  a  half  dozen  ill- 
clad  lads,  stonnstaid  also.  4  Fear  not,  my  little  fel- 
lows,' said  the  master,  as  he  saw  the  tears  trickling 
down  the  faces  of  the  lads.  'The  cabin  of  Corne- 
lius isn't  very  large,  my  boys,  but  the  old  master 
will  always  be  taking  good  care  of  his  little  flock. 
We'll  give  you  all  a  good  warm  supper,  my  lads, 
and  then  we'll  pack  you  all  together  in  trie  old 
buffalo  robe,  and  when  morning  comes  round  you'll 
all  feel  like  a  piece  of  toast  fresh  from  the  oven.' 

"  Then  there  came  a  rap  at  the  door  and  a  pleas- 
ant voice  from  without:  '  Cornelius!  I  say  Corne- 
lius! Give  the  Superintendent  an  invite  to  step 
over  and  partake  of  the  hospitality  of  one  who  will 
never  see  a  lone  traveler  and  his  poor  brute  perish 
in  such  a  storm.' 

"Then  Cornelius,  looking  me  squarely  in  the 
eye,  said  in  a  half-mistrustful  tone:  'Will  you, 
Mr.  Superintendent,  condescend  to  accept  lodg- 


22  Nicholas  Comenius. 

merit  in  the  humble  cabin  of  an  old  schoolmaster, 
such  as  you  may  find  it  ? ' 

"' Accept  it?'  said  I;  'why  bless  you,  my  old 
friend,  the  comforts  of  your  little  home,  Cornelius, 
unpretentious  though  it  be,  are  to  me  a  thousand 
times  more  acceptable  than  the  most  lavish  hand 
could  provide  in  a  palace  where  love  is  a  stranger. 
But  Nelly,  the  mare,  Cornelius?' 

"l  Never  mind  Nell,  Nicholas,  but  follow  the 
lads  and  the  old  lady,  who's  been  making  a  path 
for  our  convenience.  Brindle  will  be  only  too  glad 
to  share  her  bed  with  the  young  critter  on  such  a 
night,'  was  the  reply  of  the  tender-hearted  school- 
master, as  he  began  to  cover  a  few  live  coals  for  an 
early  morning  fire.  Ah,"  added  Nicholas,  as  he 
wiped  away  a  tear,  "and  such  a  repast!  And  what 
a  bed  of  downy  feathers,  thought  I,  as  I  laid  myself 
down  to  offer  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving  that  Nicho- 
las Comenius  still  lived  to  protect  the  old  school- 
master and  his  willing  helpmate." 

u Then  you  did  not  cancel  his  certificate?"  we 
asked. 

"Cancel  it!"  he  replied;  "Cancel  it,  did  you 
say  ? — and  could  you  have  done  it  ?  " 

Then,  after  raking  up  the  dying  embers,  and 
watching  the  curling  smoke  as  it  circled  upward 
through  the  old  chimney-place,  Nicholas  turned 
from  the  pathetic  to  the  humorous,  and  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye,  remarked :  "  Ever  hear  of  old 
Zaccheus  and  his  telescope?  Beats  all  how  slow 


Zaccheus  and  the  Telescope.  2  3 

some  people  are  to  catch  on  to  the  improvements 
of  the  age!  Zaccheus,  you  see,  was  president  of 
the  boys'  academy  over  at  the  forge.  'Twas  along 


ZACCHEUS  AND  THE  TELESCOPE. 

about  harvest  that  Zaccheus  employed  an  astrono- 
mer to  give  the  lads  a  peep  through  that  wonderful 
instrument;  for  the  astronomers  had  been  predict- 
ing a  total  eclipse  of  the  moon  for  months  previous. 
Well,  there  stood  the  telescope  in  front  of  the. 


24  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Academy,  pointing  squarely  at  the  old  gentleman 
in  the  heavenly  orb  at  an  angle  of  fifteen  degrees, 
when  old  farmer  Nathan  came  riding  along,  all  out 
of  breath. 

"'Zaccheus!'  exclaimed  he,  at  the  top  of  his 
voice,  'if  it's  that  infernal  cannon  you're  after 
firing,  it  might  be  well  to  shift  the  nozzle  a  little  to 
windward,  as  the  old  farm  buildings  are  in  direct 
line,  and  without  a  dollar  of  insurance  either.' 

" '  Why  Nat,  my  honest  old  friend,'  retorted 
Zaccheus,  'it  isn't  a  cannon  at  all ;  only  a  telescope, 
that  the  scientists  have  invented  for  making  obser- 
vations of  the  moon.' 

"'A  telescope!  What's  a  telescope,  Zaccheus? 
Thought  sure  it  was  one  of  the  old  Revolutionary 
field-pieces  that  had  been  resurrected  from  over  be- 
yond the  Forge,'  was  the  reply  of  Nathan,  with  a 
sigh  of  relief.  'But,  Zaccheus,'  came  the  inquiry, 
as  the  old  farmer  began  to  grow  impatient,  '  what's 
in  the  moon,  anyway,  that's  causing  you  to  be 
wasting  your  precious  time  over  such  a  new-fangled 
machine?  Seems  you  arn't  being  paid  by  the 
constituents  for  such  silly  nonsense !  Better  keep 
directing  the  minds  of  the  lads  to  earthly  affairs, 
instead  of  soaring  around  among  the  heavenly 
planets  in  search  of  the  spiritual,  that  the  parsons 
are  employed  to  gather  out  of  the  Scriptures. 
Time  enough,  Zaccheus — time  enough,  old  man> 
to  be  soaring  around  when  you  hear  old  Gabriel's 
trumpet  summoning  you.  to  inake  the  ascension. 


Zaccheus  and  the  Telescope.  25 

Mighty  uncertain  kind  of  notions,  Zaccheus,  for 
one  of  your  years  to  be  instilling  into  the  minds 
of  growing  lads!' 

"  Just  then  Zaccheus,  by  a  neat  adjustment  of  the 
instrument,  caught  a  beautiful  view,  unusual  even 
in  the  moon,  and  waving  his  hand  and  beckoning 
to  the  boys,  said:  'Come  here,  boys,  and  see  what 
a  fine  view  lies  over  there.  It  is  simply  grand,  and 
another  proof  that  the  unaided  eye  of  man  is  blind 
to  the  greater  glories  of  God's  creation.' 

."The  boys,  one  after  another,  gazed  through  the 
telescope  and  expressed  their  delight  and  astonish- 
ment at  so  wonderful  a  revelation.  One  of  trie 
lads,  who  was  more  of  a  wag  than  a  scientist,  said 
he  fancied  he  saw  some  familiar  faces  staring  at 
him  in  the  moon,  and  continued  to  gaze  through 
the  instrument,  talking  as  he  gazed :  c  By  Jove,  I 
believe  they  are  having  a  harvest  picnic  over 
yonder !  There  is  a  large  hamper  filled,  no  doubt, 
with  summer  sausage;  the  best  of  cheese,  bread 
and  butter,  and  a  few  jugs  of  well-brewed  home 
mead,  such  as  old  Blackwell  county  is  famous  for. 
Save  me,  boys!  if  one  of  the  stoppers  hasn't  popped 
out,  and  I  see  the  foaming  liquid  running  down 
the  sides  of  the  jug!  It  makes  my  lips  water! 
What  a  sight  of  a  lifetime,  boys !  But  I  feel  very 
sorry  for  the  good  stuff  that  is  going  to  waste  over 
there.' 

"  Old  Nat  couldn't  stand  the  pressure  any  longer 
— indeed  he  couldn't,"  chuckled  Nicholas;  "so 


26  Nicholas  Comenius. 

leaping  from  his  mare,  he  rushed  up  to  catch  a 
view  of  this  wonderful  picture,  portrayed  by  the 
waggish  young  student.  Nat  gazed  intently,  but 
failed  to  discover  any  familiar  faces,  or  any  signs 
of  the  harvest  picnickers;  but  he  did  own  that  the 
sight  was  most  astonishing,  and  that  there  might 
be  a  good  chance  over  in  the  moon  for  some  enter- 
prising fellow  to  plant  a  colony  of  farmers  and  give 
a  new  impetus  to  the  Homestead  Law.  Then 
turning  from  the  instrument  and  mounting  his  old 
nag,  he  turned  and  said  :  '  All  very  well  Zaccheus; 
It  may  be  very  good  farming  up  there  in  the  moon 
for  some,  but  old  farmer  Nathan  would  sooner 
have  a  half  acre  right  here  beside  the  old  Academy 
than  a  whole  plantation  up  there.7  " 

And  so  for  hours  Nicholas  would  sit  and  recount 
his  reminiscences  of  by-gone  days,  while  actively 
engaged  in  his  official  labors  as  Superintendent  of 
Black  well  county.  Casting  his  eye  toward  the 
dingy  wall,  upon  which  was  suspended  a  time-worn 
map  of  the  United  States,  with  the  Great  American 
Desert  conspicuously  portrayed  in  its  outlines,  he'd 
smile  and  say :  "  Common  enough,  these  wall  maps, 
in  every  district  in  Blackwell  county  nowadays; 
not  so,  however,  in  the  early  times.  I  remember 
well  when  the  first  set  was  placed  on  exhibition  in 
Bear  Creek  school.  Why  bless  me,  the  whole 
neighborhood  turned  out,  bent  on  burning  the 
maps  and  smoking  out  the  master.  'Twas  along 
about  Thanksgiving  that  word  reached  the  office 


The  Map  Agent.  27 

that  the  school  was  to  be  closed  and  the  maps  con- 
fiscated. There  wasn't  any  time  to  be  lost,  my 
friend,  I  can  assure  you,  to  make  the  ten  miles 
drive  and  be  on  hand  before  the  commotion  began. 
I  found  the  door  of  the  old  house  surrounded  by  a 
cordon  of  angry  tax-payers,  demanding  entrance, 
and  swearing  vengance  on  the  head  of  the  agent 
who  had  placed  the  maps  in  the  school,  and  who 
was  now  inside  explaining  them  to  four  of  the 
trustees.  First  one  of  the  constituents  would  step 
up  and  take  a  peep  through  the  window ;  then 
another  would  follow;  then  they'd  beckon  to  the 
others  and  exclaim:  '  Come  men,  take  a  peep,  and 
see  what  new-fangled  nonsense  they're  introducing 
into  the  schools  of  Bear  Creek  district,  anyway.' 

"'What  are  they  for,  Mr.  Superintender? '  said 
the  President  of  the  Board,  '  except  to  ornament 
the  walls  ? ' 

"'I'll  tell  you  what  they're  for,  men,'  replied 
old  Jeremiah,  the  charcoal  burner  over  beyond  the 
Ridge,  with  a  flourish  of  his  long  arms ;  ' it's  an 
advertisement  by  some  Western  land  speculator,  to 
entice  the  young  men  to  desert  the  plantations  of 
Blackwell  county,  and  get  scalped  in  the  end  by 
the  Indians,  or  lost  in  the  Great  American  Desert, 
of  which  I've  been  reading  quite  considerable  of 
late.  Yes,  men,  that's  what  they're  for,  if  I  am  a 
judge  of  such  tomfoolery.' 

"'My  sentiments,  gentlemen,'  'and  mine,'  'and 
mine,'  came  a  dozen  voices;  'and  it's  out  of  the 


The  Map  Agent.  1$ 

school  the  maps  and  that  agent  must  go,  Mr. 
Superintended  or  we'll  smoke  the  master  out  in 
short  order.  Mount  the  roof,  boys ! '  came  the 
word  of  command,  (  and  close  up  the  chimney! ' 

"  Did  they  smoke  him  out?"  I  asked,  as  Nicholas 
fell  into  a  reverie. 

"  Why  bless  you,  no,  my  young  friend,"  retorted 
he,  with  his  eyes  still  fixed  upon  the  old  map : 
"they  didn't  do  anything  of  the  kind.  It  was  a 
trying  time,  though,  such  as  I  have  had  to  meet 
many  times  before  and  since,  whenever  a  new 
branch  was  added  to  the  course  of  study  or  a  patent 
blackboard  placed  in  any  one  of  the  schools. 
(Come,  men,'  said  I,  as  I  looked  them  squarely  in 
the  face,  '  follow  me,  and  we'll  go  into  the  school 
and  find  out  what  the  queer-looking  things  are 
made  for;  and  if  they  are  pernicious  to  good  morals, 
or  conflict  in  any  way  with  the  Scriptures,  or  with 
the  teachings  of  John  Amos  Comenius,  we'll  yank 
them  into  the  old  wood-stove  in  short  order." 

"  And  did  they  follow  you?" 

"  Follow  me?  No!  It  wasn't  Nicholas  Come- 
nius that  was  the  touchstone,  but  a  certain  charm 
that  the  name  of  John  Amos  Comenius  always  pos- 
sessed for  this  honest,  but  at  times  misguided  yeo- 
manry. What  name  in  history  was  more  inspiring 
to  these  hardy  tillers  of  the  soil  than  the  name  of 
this  sterling  educator  of  more  than  two  centuries 
ago?  Was  it  not  with  this  same  John  Amos 
Comenius  that  thousands  of  their  early  ancestors 


30  Nicholas  Comenius. 

were  compelled  to  flee  and  take  refuge,  some  among 
the  mountain  defiles  and  others  in  a  foreign  land, 
to  escape  the  intolerance  of  a  religious  crusade? 
Ah,  my  friend,  to  this  day  the  name  of  Comenius 
is  dear  to  the  hearts  of  these  people. 

uWell,  into  the  old  house  they  marched,  one 
after  the  other,  where  they  all  stood  at  the  door- 
way with  eyes  on  the  maps  and  the  four  trustees, 
ready  to  desert  the  premises  at  the  first  signal  of 
command.  Took  mighty  careful  handling/'  said 
Nicholas,  as  he  stepped  over  and  examined  the  date 
on  the  old  map,  that  had  become  blackened  with 
smoke  and  age  almost  beyond  recognition.  u  Quite 
an  old  stager,  published  away  back  in  the  forties ; 
but  it's  the  only  one  of  the  set  remaining  that 
caused  all  that  excitement  in  Bear  Creek  district. 
See,  there's  nothing  beyond  the  Missouri  but  wild 
lands  and  the  great  unexplored  desert." 

"  Part  with  the  old  map  for  a  consideration?"  I 
made  bold  to  ask. 

"  No,  not  for  a  fortune,"  came  the  quick  response. 
"It's  a  picture  that  conveys  a  lesson  full  of  mean- 
ing to  young  and  old,"  added  Nicholas  with  a  sigh. 
"  From  a  barren  waste,  as  I  recall  the  western 
country,  it's  been  turned  into  an  empire  more 
powerful  than  the  world  has  ever  known.  Of 
course,  as  a  guide  for  the  present  the  old  map  isn't 
very  valuable;  but  as  a  reminder  of  the  past,  it's 
like  the  old  text-book,  full  of  prophecy  for  what 
the  future  is  to  be. 


The  Map  Agent.  31 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  continued,  regaining  the  thread 
of  his  story ;  "  this  same  old  map  was  hanging 
against  the  wall,  with  the  constituents  eying  it 
from  the  rear  of  the  room.  It  wasn't  long  until 
the  school  was  called  to  order,  and  the  lads  drawn 
up  in  line,  like  young  soldiers  on  dress  parade. 
Beginning  with  the  far-off  state  of  Maine,  the 
agent  kept  pointing  and  naming,  and  the  young- 
sters repeating,  so  that  before  the  old  men  could 
recover  their  senses,  the  class  had  gone  clear 
through  the  country  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  and 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Missouri,  without  a  mis- 
hap. But  the  climax  was  reached  when  Gideon, 
the  master,  who  had  been  taking  private  drills  on 
the  maps  the  evening  previous,  stepped  forward, 
and  endeavored  to  play  upon  the  credulity  of  old 
Jeremiah.  'Jerry/  as  was  known  to  Gideon,  had 
been  a  drover,  and  had  traveled  some  in  his  time  ; 
and  so,  when  the  master  started  to  point  out  many 
of  the  towns  the  old  man  had  visited  in  the  line  of 
his  business  operations,  the  old  drover  turned, 
shook  his  head  and  said :  '  True  enough,  men,  the 
Yankee  who  invented  that  map,  as  they  call  it, 
managed  to  place  the  towns  where  they  belong,  for 
I've  been  there  myself  many  a  time;  but  it's  as 
true  as  preaching  that  it  costs  plenty  of  solid  cash 
to  get  there,  with  no  free  ride  on  the  packet  line  or 
stage-coach  either,  as  I  have  reason  to  know  from 
experience.' 

"'Yes,  men,'  chimed  in  the  little  Dutch  squire, 


3  'I  Nicholas  Cotnenius. 

'and  it's  the  solid  cash  these  map  agents  are  after, 
and  no  mistaking  it.' 

"  It  stirred  up  a  pretty  stiff  breeze,"  said  Nicholas, 
as  he  rolled  up  the  map,  u  but  it's  all  blown  over 
long  ago,  and  now  there's  a  full  set  of  the  latest 
improved  maps  in  every  school  in  Bear  Creek 
district." 


**X 

ITY) 


CHAPTER  III. 

LADAMUS    AND    MARINDA. 

IT  was  late  in  the  evening  when  I  arose  to  leave 
the  veteran  educator,  and,  as  we  stood  within  the 
open  doorway  of  his  low,  dusky  office,  watching 
the  moon  as  it  came  into  view,  a  single  horseman 
rode  up  and  dismounted. 

"Oh,  it  is  only  lyadamus,  one  of  the  six  men  of 
Brimstone  district  school  board;  comes  regularly 
v  once  a  month  for  legal  advice  covering  some  knotty 
point  in  the  school  law,"  said  Comenius,  as  the 
backwoodsman  stepped  into  the  post-office  opposite. 
"  Come  inside,  if  not  too  much  in  a  hurry,  and  I'll 
relate  a  little  episode  that  the  old  gentleman  will 
illustrate  before  an  hour  goes  by." 

u  You  expect  to  meet  him  then,  on  official  busi- 
ness?" I  remarked,  as  I  stepped  within  and  closed 
the  door. 

UO  yes;  and  there  isn't  a  section  of  the  school 
law  that  I  haven't  gone  over  time  and  again  for  the 
benefit  of  Brimstone  School  Board." 

"  Rather  a  difficult  undertaking,  to  find  authority 
for  the  multiplicity  of  legal  questions  submitted 
annually  for  your  decision,"  I  suggested. 

3  33 


34  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"  Oh  no,  not  by  any  means,  my  friend, "  he  re-- 
plied. u  You  see,  the  common  school  law  was 
framed  to  meet  every  phase  of  the  public  school 
question,  and  is  susceptible,  pro  and  con,  of  almost 
any  construction  desirable.  As  a  whole,  it  is  both 
contractive  and  expansive,  and  affords  those  high 
in  authority  an  easy  avenue  of  escape  from  what 
otherwise  might  involve  school  boards  in  endless 
litigation." 

"  Then  you  seem  to  anticipate  the  purpose  of  the 
old  gentleman's  mission  ?" 

"  Fully,  my  friend;  and  if  you  are  not  averse  to 
a  little  innocent  amusement,  I  will  illustrate  to 
your  satisfaction  the  versatility  of  the  law,  and  how 
it  can  be  twisted  to  meet  the  whims  and  caprices 
of  the  average  school  trustee.  But  in  order  that 
you  may  appreciate  more  fully  the  object  of  his 
visit,  it  may  be  necessary  to  acquaint  you  with  the 
preliminary  facts  before  the  arrival  of  President 
Ladamus." 

Nicholas  then  hastily  sketched  the  history  of  the 
case.  For  many  years  Brimstone  School,  over  in 
the  charcoal  region,  had  been  under  the  control  of 
a  crusty,  old,  one-legged  schoolmaster,  whose  only 
boast  was  that  he  had  thrashed  as  many  lads  daily 
as  there  were  months  in  the  year.  The  school 
board,  unhappily,  was  composed  of  this  same  kind 
of  knotty  timber;  honest,  well-meaning,  but  rough, 
rugged,  and  at  times  superstitious — firm  believers 
in  the  teaching  of  Solomon,  that  to  spare  the  rod  is 


Ladamus  and  Marinda.  35 

to  spoil  the  child.  Once  in  possession  of  the  school 
interests  of  Brimstone  district,  these  six  wise  men 
of  the  charcoal-pits  were  destined  to  continue  in 
office  to  their  souls'  content.  If  any  of  the  lads  re- 
turned home  showing  marks  that  had  been  in- 
flicted by  the  strong  arm  of  a  Old  Obstinate/'  as  he 
was  familiarly  known  among  the  dusky  constitu- 
ents of  the  ridge,  a  repetition  of  even  greater 
severity  was  sure  to  follow.  If  the  lads  outwardly 
respected  him,  it  was  only  for  the  ability  he  dis- 
played in  swinging  the  shillalah.  To  the  true 
character  of  Old  Obstinate,  Comenius  was  not 
blinded.  He  had  visited  his  school,  denounced 
with  severity  his  mode  of  treatment,  spoken  plainly 
to  the  trustees,  but  all  without  avail.  In  the  esti- 
mation of  the  Board,  Old  Obstinate's  systematic 
mode  of  flogging  had  endeared  him  to  the  hearts 
of  the  populace,  the  most  important  of  whom  was 
the  President. 

Ladamus,  in  addition  to  being  a  school  trustee, 
was  the  fortunate  possessor  of  the  old  forge  and  the 
finest  six-mule  team  that  ever  drew  a  load  of  char- 
coal over  the  ridge.  He  had  in  his  employ  at  the 
same  time  a  young  teamster,  Sandoe  by  name, 
whose  chief  recommendation  was  his  ability  to 
outdo  Old  Obstinate  in  the  use  of  the  raw-hide, 
which  often  fell  with  unerring  accuracy  on  the 
bare  backs  of  the  poor  dumb  brutes.  The  crack 
of  his  whip  as  it  circled  through  the  air  and  fell 
first  on  one,  then  on  the  other,  of  his  spanking 


36  Nicholas  Comenius. 

team,  was  music  to  the  ears  of  the  President  of 
Brimstone  School  Board. 

lyadamus  had  but  one  child  in  the  world,  an 
intelligent,  bright-eyed  lad  of  twelve.  Many  in- 
deed were  the  times  that  Sim  returning  from 
school,  and  feeling  the  welts  of  Old  Obstinate's 
birch  rod  beneath  his  flimsy  jacket,  would  stop  and 
listen  to  the  whacks  of  Sandoe's  raw-hide.  He 
could  bear  the  itching  pain  left  by  the  blows  on  his 
own  back,  but  he  rebelled  inwardly  against  the 
severity  of  the  castigation  administered  to  the  poor 
animals.  As  time  ran  on,  a  bond  of  the  closest 
sympathy  sprang  up  between  Sim  and  the  u  black 
beauties,'7  as  he  was  proud  to  call  them.  Between 
school  hours,  he  would  slip  into  their  respective 
stalls,  pat  them  gently  on  the  mane,  and  tell  them 
of  his  own  trials  and  difficulties.  Through  these 
repeated  visits  a  friendship  sprang  up  between  Sim 
and  the  poor  abused  creatures,  that  appealed  with 
much  force  to  his  young  nature,  even  though  it 
failed  to  produce  an  outward  expression  of  recipro- 
city on  the  part  of  the  "  black  beauties." 

But  all  things  are  destined  to  change  sooner  or 
later,  and  Brimstone  school  was  to  be  no  exception 
to  this  inexorable  law  of  nature.  Nicholas  Come- 
nius had  waited  long  and  patiently  for  some  avenue 
through  which  another  teacher  might  be,  with 
safety  installed  there.  At  last,  Old  Obstinate  fell 
into  the  meshes  of  the  law,  and  his  schoolmaster- 
ship,  after  forty  years  of  uninterrupted  sway,  came 


Ladamus  and  Marinda.  37 

to  an  untimely  end.  To  supply  the  vacancy  fell  in 
part  to  the  lot  of  Comenius,  who  was  not  unmind- 
ful of  the  conditions  to  be  met.  As  it  happened,  a 
middle-aged  Yankee  schoolmistress  made  applica- 
tion for  a  position  at  this  opportune  moment ;  and 
as  Nicholas  was  not  slow  in  discovering  the  in- 
herent qualities  of  the  "  little  midget,"  as  he 
termed  her — characteristics  the  very  opposite  of 
those  possessed  by  Old  Obstinate — the  necessary 
machinery  was  put  in  operation  to  place  her  in  the 
school.  This  being  accomplished,  Nicholas,  after 
visiting  the  school  on  two  occasions,  composed 
himself  to  await  developments,  Two  long  months 
had  since  passed  by,  and  Comenius  had  almost  for- 
gotten the  occurrence,  until  our  attention  was 
attracted  to  the  President  of  Brimstone  School 
Board  as  he  dismounted  and  entered  the  post-office. 

Nicholas  had  scarcely  concluded  this  preliminary 
history  when  there  came  a  rap  at  the  door. 

"  Ah,  my  worthy  friend,  rather  a  late  hour  to  be 
skylarking  around  through  the  metropolis  of  Black- 
well  county,  with  only  the  man  in  the  moon  to 
guide  your  footsteps,"  said  Nicholas,  in  his  affable 
manner,  as  he  shook  the  dusky  charcoal-burner  by 
the  hand  and  invited  him  to  a  seat. 

uOh  yes,  Mr.  Superintender,  rather  a  late  hour 
to  be  l skylarking'  around,"  was  the  curt  rejoinder; 
"but  business  means  business,  Mr.  Superintender, 
and  when  duty  calls  it  isn't  the  President  of  Brim- 
stone School  Board  that's  to  be  found  wanting." 


38  Nicholas  Comenius. 

With  this  drawling  rejoinder,  he  thrust  one  hand 
into  his  trousers  pocket,  and  grasping  the  back  of 
the  chair  with  the  other,  stood  staring  at  Nicholas 
for  a  moment,  and  then  added  :  u  There's  a  moun- 
tain of  trouble  brewing  over  among  the  constit- 
uents of  Brimstone  school,  that  I've  had  the  honor 
to  oversee  for  more  than  thirty  years,  Mr.  Superin- 
tender  ;  and  if  it  isn't  squelched  before  election  day 
comes  around,  there  will  be  one  trustee  less  to 
guide  the  affairs  of  Brimstone  school  district." 

f(Ah,  more  trouble  in  the  old  school?"  smiled 
Nicholas,  as  he  turned  and  caught  my  eye. 
"  Strange,  passing  strange,  that  Marinda  should  be 
getting  into  trouble  with  the  charcoal-burners  be- 
fore the  term  is  more  than  half  up. " 

"Oh  yes,  there's  trouble,  and  plenty  of  it,  in  the 
old  gal's  school,  Mr.  Superintender ;  and  I  thought 
I'd  slip  over  under  cover  of  darkness  to  get  an 
opinion  favorable  to  the  trustees,  before  the  Yankee 
schoolmistress  could  put  in  her  appearance." 

"  Ah,  I  see!  I  comprehend  !  Nothing  like  tak- 
ing time  by  the  forelock,  Mr.  President!  Charges 
of  a  serious  nature  and  well  substantiated? — or 
only  exaggerated  rumors  based  largely  on  gossip?" 

"Well,  Mr.  Superintender,  there's  where  the 
trouble  comes  in ;  some  say  one  thing,  some  an- 
other; and  betwixt  and  between  lies  the  pint  I'd 
have  you  decide." 

"  Oh,  we  are  now  beginning  to  reach  an  un- 
derstanding, Mr.  President."  (Nicholas  turned, 


Ladamus  and  Matinda.  39 

reached  for  quill  and  paper  and  pretended  to  write, 
as  he  humorously  continued  the  dialogue.)  "And 
can  it  be  possible,  Mr.  President,  that  Marinda,  the 
Yankee  schoolmistress  whom  I  so  highly  recom- 
mended to  the  trustees  on  account  of  her  literary 
ability  and  high  standing  as  a  disciplinarian,  has 
gone  off  and  married  the  pious  old  parson,  who  it 
is  true  has  grown  pretty  lonely  of  late,  as  he's 
grown  older?  A  mighty  serious  condition  for  the 
trustees  to  meet,  Mr.  President. "  He  reached 
down  a  volume  of  school  laws,  adjusted  his  spec- 
tacles and  continued  :  "  Ah,  here  is  a  provision  that 
covers  your  case  in  a  nutshell.  No  cause  for  action, 
I  regret  to  say ;  comes  within  the  law  of  supply  and 
demand,  and  bears  out  the  inference  to  be  drawn 
that  what's  Marinda's  gain  is  the  school's  loss. 
You  see,  here  is  where  the  law  of  supply  and 
demand  comes  in ;  eliminate  this  wholesome  pro- 
vision, and  you  blight  the  future  prospects  of  more 
than  nine-tenths  of  all  the  school-ma'ams  in  the 
land." 

"Good  Heavens,  Mr.  Superinteiider !  There 
isn't  any  wedding  ceremonies  connected  with  the 
fracas." 

"  Oh,  now  I  comprehend  the  situation !  Died  of 
a  broken  heart — been  jilted  by  the  hypocritical  old 
parson,  and  you've  come  to  secure  a  memorial 
tribute.  Mighty  considerate  in  the  President  of 
Brimstone  School  Board,  and  shows  a  tender  regard 
for  the  memory  of  the  little  schoolmistress.  Leave 


40  Nicholas  Comenius. 

any    bequests,    my    friend?      And   were    her   last 
moments  peaceful  and  happy?'' 

"For  the  Lord's  sake,  Mr.  Superintended  Ma- 
rinda  didn't — 

"One  moment  more,  my  venerable  friend  ;  calm 
yourself  while  I  refer  to  the  moral  status  of  her 
school  "  (turning  over  the  leaves  of  his  note-book, 
while  Ladamus  stroked  his  long  gray  beard,  strut- 
ting to  and  fro  and  gesticulating  with  both  arms) : 
"Ah,  here's  her  record  without  a  blemish:— 
'  Discipline,  perfection ;  rod  abandoned  and  moral 
suasion  substituted — the  first  instance  of  the  kind 
on  record ;  methods  of  teaching  far  above  the  ave- 
rage ;  general  deportment  of  pupils  of  the  highest 
standing' — a  splendid  record,  my  worthy  old  friend, 
to  which  I  shall  only  be  too  happy  to  testify. n 

"Holy  St.  Peter!  Marinda  didn't  marry  the 
parson,  and  she  isn't  dead  either,  Mr.  Superinten- 
der !  The  plain  truth  is,  the  old  lady's  as  lively  as 
a  cricket,  practicing  moral  suasion,  as  they  call  it, 
over  in  Brimstone  school,  at  a  rate  that  calls  for 
prompt  action.  Think  of  it,  Mr.  Superintender ! 
Think  of  the  old  gal  departing  from  the  law  as 
laid  down  by  old  Solomon  in  the  Scriptures," 
(swaying  his  long  slender  form  backward  and  for- 
ward and  from  side  to  side,  and  gesticulating,)  "and 
it's  for  practicing  such  infernal  nonsense,  that's 
never  been  heard  of  before  around  the  old  forge, 
that  I've  come,  Mr.  Superintender,  to  ask  for  the 
old  lady's  dismissal !" 


Ladamus  and  Marinda.  41 

"  Oh  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  President !  Now  I 
fully  realize  the  importance  of  your  visit "  (step- 
ping over  and  shaking  Ladamus  by  the  hand). 
u  Quiet  your  emotions,  my  old  friend.  These  little 
misunderstandings  are  always  liable  to  occur  among 
those  holding  responsible  official  positions  under 
the  common  school  system."  (Ladamus  gives  a 
nod  of  grateful  acknowledgment.)  uAnd  so  you 
have  come  over  to  ask  for  Marinda's  discharge,  for 
substituting  nxoral  suasion  in  place  of  the  ferule, 
or  the  shillalah,  as  you  term  it?" 

"Well,  that's  about  the  size  of  it,  Mr.  Superin- 
tended" 

"  Ah !  now,  Mr.  President,  have  you  any  well- 
defined  ideas  as  to  the  way  in  which  Marinda  has 
violated  the  provisions  of  the  law?  If  so,  please 
state  them  in  as  few  words  as  possible,  and  I  shall 
then  be  prepared  to  render  an  opinion." 

Ladamus  stood  erect,  balancing  himself  first  on 
one  foot  then  on  the  other ;  transferring  his  quid 
of  tobacco  from  right  to  left,  then  vice  versa,  and 
proceeded  with  his  statement:  "You  know  Sim, 
Mr.  Superintender,  that  uncommon  spry  chap  of 
mine ;  up  early  and  late,  assisting  the  old  man 
over  at  the  charcoal  beds  during  the  summer 
months,  and  attending  school  over  at  the  old 
Brimstone  house  during  the  three  winter  months." 

"  Oh  yes,  Mr.  President,  I  well  remember  Sim, 
and  a  most  precocious  lad  he  is,"  was  the  reply  of 
Comenius,  with  a  look  of  approval. 


w 


Ladamus  and  Marinda.  43 

"  Glad  to  hear  your  good  opinion  of  the  lad  ;  he 
is  a  chip  o'  the  old  block,  and  the  very  image  of 
his  father.  Well,  as  I  started  out  to  say,  Sim,  you 
recollect,  attended  school  under  the  old  school- 
master a  year  ago,  in  readin',  writing  and  Arith- 
metic, with  a  little  chemistry  beaten  into  his  head 
by  way  of  assistin'  the  old  man  in  diagonosing  the 
kind  o'  metal  around  the  ore  banks.  This  of 
course,  Mr.  Superintender,  gave  the  lad  a  fine 
standing  among  the  gentry  of  Brimstone  school 
district.  There  was  some  fault-finding  on  account 
of  the  chemistry,  which  was  only  natural :  for 
many  believed  that  reading  writin'  and  Arithmetic, 
with  a  little  spellin'  thrown  in  to  round  up  his 
edication,  was  more  than  enough  for  any  youngster 
who  wasn't  born  to  be  hankering  after  any  of  the 
hifalutin  callings.  But  Mr.  Superintender,  the 
trouble  with  Marinda  wasn't  on  account  of  the 
chemistry  nor  the  spellin' ;  and  if  hadn't  been  for 
the  moral  suasion  racket,  there' d  have  been  clear 
sailing  for  the  old  edicational  ship  o'  state  around 
through  the  charcoal  region. 

"  It  was  long  about  sun-up  this  morning,  Mr. 
Superintender,  that  Sandoe  started  out  to  hook  up 
that  obstreperous  six-mule  team,  that's  got  a  record 
for  pure,  downright  cussedness.  Well,  things  were 
moving  along  with  Sandoe  and  the  sly  critters  as 
smooth  as  old  Dan  Rice's  circus  on  dress  parade; 
and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Sim  and  that  dastardly 
off-side  mule,  that  began  kicking  and  backing  be- 


44  Nicholas.  Comenius. 

fore  Sandoe  had  given  the  others  more  than  a  half- 
dozen  whacks  with  his  long  raw-hide,  everything 
might  have  gone  'long  without  a  mishap.  But 
while  Sandoe  was  whacking  away  at  that  off-side 
critter,  Sim,  that  edicated  lad  o'  mine,  came  flying 
up  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him,  calling  out 
at  the  top  of  his  voice  :  '  Sandoe,  I  say  Sandoe,  use 
a  little  of  Marinda's  school-room  tactics  on  the 
black  beauties.'  'And  what  kind  o'  medicine  is 
that,  Sim,  you'd  be  after  giving  the  ondacent 
beasts?'  cried  Sandoe,  between  the  lashes  of  his 
raw-hide.  4  Oh,  it's  only  a  new  kind  of  discipline 
the  mistress  has  been  practicing  over  in  Brim- 
stone school,  but  it  beats  lickin'  all  hollow  !  You 
see,  Sandoe,'  said  Sim,  in  a  soft  persuasive  tone,  a 
way  he  had  of  handling  the  young  teamster,  'it's 
been  a  pretty  good  kind  o'  medicine  for  old  Tom 
Brown's  son  Ned,  who  only  yesterday  declared  to 
the  mistress  that  it  was  the  first  school  he  had 
attended  in  his  lifetime  that  he  didn't  get  at  least 
five  wallopings  a  day,  from  crusty  old  one-legged 
Obstinate.'  Then  Sandoe  dropped  the  long  raw- 
hide and  stepped  over  to  Sim  and  said  :  '  Sim,  my 
boy,  I  ain't  much  in  favor  of  lickin'  anyway  ;  so 
tell  me  how  in  the  deuce  the  mistress  managed  to 
break  the  spirit  of  young  Ned  Brown  without  the 
use  of  the  shillalah  ;'  and  so  after  whispering  some 
nonsense  in  his  ear  and  saying  he'd  tell  him  all 
about  it  some  time  on  the  sly,  Sim  started  right 
over  to  the  six-mule  team,  patted  each  of  the 


Ladamus  and  Marinda.  45 

critters  on  the  neck,  and  after  whispering  some 
hocus-pocus  nonsense  into  their  ears,  took  the 
reins  in  his  own  hands  and  started  the  unruly 
critters  off  at  a  rate  faster  than  they'd  ever  been 
driven  under  the  lash  of  Sandoe.  Then  Sim 
halted  the  six-mule  team  at  the  top  of  the  hill  arid 
handed  the  lines  to  Sandoe;  and  true  as  you're  a 
living  man,  Mr.  Superintender,  Sandoe  started 
them  off  without  a  crack  of  the  whip,  and  they've 
been  going  along  vinder  the  influence  of  Marinda's 
moral-suasion  racket  ever  since. 

u  But,  Mr.  Superintender,  while  Sim  was  prac- 
ticing this  hocus-pocus  nonsense  on  Sandoe  and 
the  six-mule  team  I  wasn't  to  be  caught  napping, 
for  I  was  prying  through  the  bars  over  at  the  old 
wagon-shed,  and  I  riz  right  up  and  followed  that 
edicated  chap  of  mine  down  by  the  foot  of  the  long 
slope.  Says  I,  '  Sim,'  says  I,  'what  kind  of  hocus- 
pocus  nonsense  have  you  been  instilling  into  the 
brain  of  Sandoe  about  the  dumb  creatures?'  Then 
Sim  looked  straight  up  in  my  eyes  and  told  me  all 
about  how  the  Yankee  schoolmistress  had  been 
practicing  moral  suasion  among  the  wild  lads  of  the 
school.  'Dad,'  said  he,  'there  isn't  any  hocus- 
pocus  about  Marinda's  teaching.  It  is  only  a  way 
she  has  of  appealing  to  a  boy's  honor.  There's  old 
Tom  Brown's  son  Ned,  the  worst  chap  in  the 
school !  You  see,  Dad,  Ned  had  made  up  his  mind 
on  the  first  day  of  school  to  carry  the  little  school- 
mistress out  of  the  school  and  then  take  possession 


46  Nicholas  Comeniu$. 

himself.  All  the  larger  boys  were  in  the  secret, 
and  a  jolly  good  time  they  were  going  to  have  at 
Marinda's  expense!  Ned  said  he  didn't  see  any 
use,  anyway,  for  the  Yankee  school-marm  to  be 
taking  the  place  of  Old  Obstinate,  whose  teaching 
suited  him,  even  if  the  lickings  didn't.  Well,  Dad, 
some  how  or  other  the  mistress  got  wind  of  Ned's 
intentions,  and  so,  after  the  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, she  called  about  a  dozen  of  the  larger  boys 
up  in  a  row,  and  said:  "Boys,  I  want  to  form  a 
4  Law  and  Order  Society,'  and  I  want  the  largest 
boy  in  the  school  to  be  chairman."  Then  we  all 
turned  and  looked  at  Ned,  who  was  standing  at  the 
end  of  the  row,  looking  down  through  the  opening 
in  the  floor  with  a  tired  sort  of  look  on  his  face. 
u  Will  Master  Ned  consent  to  accept  the  honor  of 
the  chairmanship?  I  see,"  said  she,  "that  he's  the 
tallest  boy  in  the  school,  and  looks  like  an  intelli- 
gent, manly  lad,  who  would  give  honor  and  dignity 
to  the  society."  Then  Ned  looked  up,  and  with 
tears  running  down  his  face,  said:  "Teacher,  I 
never  in  all  my  life  heard  such  kind  words  before; 
they  make  me  feel  half  ashamed  of  what  I  had 
been  thinking  about  doing."  "Will  you,  Master 
Ned,  accept  the  Chairmanship?"  said  the  mistress, 
as  she  took  him  by  the  hand,  not  noticing  his 
attempt  at  confession.  And  so  Ned  told  the  mis- 
tress that  he'd  be  willing,  provided  the  other  boys 
were ;  and  so  we  took  a  vote  and  elected  Ned  by 
what  the  mistress  called  a  unanimous  vote.  Since 


Ladamus  and  Marincta.  47 

then,  Dad,  we've  been  holding  weekly  meetings 
over  in  the  old  school-house,  and  the  mistress  is  the 
secretary  and  keeps  a  record  of  what's  going  on  in 
the  society.  Oh,  it's  a  splendid  time  we're  having, 
Dad,  and  the  mistress  is  so  kind  and  loving,  and 
uses  such  kind  words  that  there  isn't  a  boy  in  the 
school  who  would  say  an  unkind  word  to  hurt  her 
feelings.  And  it's  the  same  with  the  girls,  Dad,  for 
she  started  a  little  sewing  circle,  with  Widow  Mar- 
shall's daughter  Fannie  as  chairman,  and  they 
meet  every  rainy  day  at  noon-time  in  one  corner 
of  the  room,  while  the  boys  are  holding  society 
meetings  in  the  other.  It  would  soften  your  heart, 
Dad,  for  the  "  black  beauties,"  I  know  it  would,  if 
you  would  drop  into  the  school  some  rainy  day 
when  there  isn't  any  hauling  to  be  done  over  at  the 
charcoal-pits.  Oh,  Dad,  the  little  mistress  said  only 
yesterday  that  she  hadn't  seen  the  face  of  a  trustee 
inside  the  school-room  for  the  three  months  that 
she  had  been  in  charge ;  but  she  told  me  she  would 
be  only  too  happy  to  have  the  President  of  the 
Board  visit  the  school;  said  she  knew  he  was  a 
generous,  kind-hearted  man  who  meant  to  do  his 
duty.'  'Sim,'  said  I,  'you  kind  of  touch  a  tender 
spot  in  the  old  man's  heart,  my  lad ';  for  I  began  to 
feel,  Mr.  Superintender,  that  I  hadn't  been  doing 
my  duty  to  the  school,  and  that  Sandoe  hadn't  been 
treating  the  black  critters  more  than  half  right. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Superintender,  such  a  heavy  feeling 
came  over  me  when  Sim  finished  telling  all  about 


48  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  little  mistress,  that  I  made  up  my  mind  then 
and  there  to  join  Sim  and  take  a  peep  inside  the 
school ;  for  I  felt  at  the  moment  that  there  might 
be  something  more  good  than  bad  in  the  moral 
suasion  racket,  and  that  the  little  mistress  was 
after  all  making  the  right  kind  of  a  man  out  of 
Sim.  But  just  as  I  was  getting  ready  to  join  Sim, 
the  other  trustees  came  riding  up  to  the  gate,  boil- 
ing all  over  with  rage  and  inquiring  about  the 
moral-suasion  racket.  One  said  the  mistress  wasn't 
engaged  to  do  the  sewing  for  the  children ;  another 
said  he  was  dead  against  the  'Law  and  Order 
Society,'  and  that  the  best  thing  to  be  done  was  to 
move  on  the  school  in  a  body  and  bounce  the  little 
mistress  instanter.  I  tried  to  argue  the  case,  Mr. 
Superintender,  as  Sim  had  with  me^  but  I  couldn't 
make  the  words  fit  as  Sim  did,  and  what  I  said  in 
my  rough  way  only  riled  them  and  made  their 
blood  boil  all  the  worse.  So  as  a  sort  of  compro- 
mise I  told  them  I'd  start  to  the  county-seat  to  see 
the  Superintender.  But  since  I've  been  standing 
here,  Mr.  Superintender,  reflecting  over  the  words 
of  Sim,  they  all  come  back  to  me  with  such  deep 
meaning  that  I  feel  like  going  back  to  Brimstone 
school  district,  taking  off  my  coat,  and  making  the 
fight  of  my  life  for  that  little  school-mistress." 

"  Ah,  my  sturdy  old  mountaineer,"  said  Nicholas, 
as  he  saw  a  big  tear  rolling  down  the  face  of  the 
sturdy  backwoodsman:  " you're  the  right  man  in 
the  right  place.  Go  back  to  the  school ;  stand  by 


Ladamus  and  Marinda.  49 

the  mistress,  stand  by  Sim,  and  stand  by  the  black 
beauties,  and  I  pledge  you  my  word  that  when  the 
critical  moment  comes  you  shall  have  the  earnest 
and  unfaltering  support  of  Nicholas  Comenius.n 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,  Mr.  Superintender,  and 
may  God  bless  you  for  the  light  that  has  dawned 
upon  the  mind  and  soul  of  Ladamus. " 

Then  with  a  fervent  shake  of  the  hand,  and  the 
soft  words  of  Sim  pressing  hard  in  upon  his  rugged 
nature,  he  stepped  without,  closed  the  door,  and 
with  a  look  of  resolve  upon  his  face,  mounted  one 
of  his  black  beauties  and  rode  westward  toward  his 
mountain  home. 

One,  two,  three  years  had  gone  by,  and  the  little 
episode  was  all  but  forgotten,  when  meeting  Come- 
nius  one  clay  he  said  with  a  pleasant  smile:  uAh, 
my  friend,  have  you  forgotten  lyadamus,  President 
of  Brimstone  School  Board,  and  the  little  Yankee 
schoolmistress?" 

"  Oh  bless  you,  no,"  I  replied,  "  but  how  did  it  all 
turn  out?" 

"Turn  out,"  he  responded:  "Why,  would  you 
believe  it,  Ladamus  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the 
most  progressive  school  directors  in  Blackwell 
county ;  and  the  little  Yankee  schoolmistress,  fol- 
lowing the  law  of  supply  and  demand,  only  a  week 
ago  became  the  wife  of  the  pious  old  parson. ' ' 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ARCHEY  McFADDKN  AND  TIPPECANOE. 

"  THERE  is  at  all  times  a  peculiar  flavor  associ- 
ated with  a  good  story  of  certain  irrepressible  old 
schoolmasters, "  resumed  Comenius,  as  he  drew  me 
aside  and  closed  the  door  of  his  official  sanctum. 
"Here,  for  instance,"  continued  he,  as  he  turned 
down  a  leaf  of  his  old  note-book,  "  is  a  short  sketch 
of  Archey  McFadden,  who  was  known  throughout 
Blackwell  county  as  'The  L,ong  Man  of  the  Emerald 
Isle.'  Born  and  educated  among  the  blackthorn 
hedges  of  the  North  of  Ireland,  Archey  started 
out  when  a  young  man,  gravitated  to  America, 
finally  rounding  up  among  the  charcoal  pits  of 
Blackwell  county  under  the  euphonious  title  of 
Professor.  This  broad  and  comprehensive  evidence 
of  distinction  at  once  made  him  a  formidable  rival 
of  the  many  old  schoolmasters  of -Black  well  county. 
Commanding  in  appearance,  and  blessed  as  he  was 
with  two  well-formed  pedal  extremities,  Archey 
was  never  known  to  walk  to  a  teachers'  meeting  if 
it  were  possible  for  him  to  secure  the  services  of 
any  old  quadruped  within  a  dozen  miles  of  his 
school. 

50 


Archey  and  Tippecanoe.  51 

To  start  out  for  a  ten  miles'  walk,  before  the 
break  of  day,  to  borrow  an  old  nag  to  cover  an 
equal  distance  only  in  an  opposite  direction  from 
his  -log  school,  was  no  unusual  undertaking  for 
Archey  McFadden.  Whether  the  old  school- 
master, during  his  latter  days,  was  actuated  more 
by  a  desire  to  quench  an  inherent  thirst,  at  any  one 
or  all  of  the  many  '  tippling  stations '  that  lay  in 
his  way,  or  to  pose  before  his  many  rivals  at  each 
teachers'  meeting  astride  of  some  old  roadster,  as 
the  exponent  of  a  high  and  dignified  calling,  has 
never  been  definitely  determined. 

u  It  was,  however,  on  the  day  preceding  an 
important  spelling  contest,  as  the  story  runs," 
continued  Comenius,  "in  which  Gad  Day,  the 
4  walking  dictionary '  of  Sassafras  Ridge,  and  the 
shortest-set  schoolmaster  that  ever  swung  a  ferule, 
was  arrayed  on  one  side,  with  Archey  on  the  other, 
that  the  latter  began  to  scour  the  country  round 
for  some  stray  (  critter,'  but  without  avail. 

"As  the  old  schoolmaster's  eccentricities  were 
well  known  to  many  of  his  pupils,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  humor  his  whims  in  a  way  he  least  ex- 
pected. After  a  protracted  search,  their  labors 
were  at  last  rewarded  by  the  discovery  of  the  rem- 
nants of  a  once  celebrated  roadster,  that  had  already 
passed  his  thirtieth  mile-stone,  and  as  a  reward  for 
past  services  had  been  turned  loose  to  spend  his 
last  days  in  an  adjoining  pasturage.  Little  time 
was  lost  in  communicating  to  their  respected  tutor 


52  Nicholas  Comemus. 

the  many  sterling  qualities  of  Tippecanoe.  It  was 
clearly  set  forth  by  the  spokesman  that  the  owner 
of  old  Tip,  who  resided  some  ten  miles  distant  in 
one  of  the  c  Distillery  districts,'  for  which  >  the 
Ridge  was  noted,  was  not  averse  to  entrusting  this 
famous  record-breaker  to  the  respected  master  of 
Sassafras  Ridge,  whom  he  knew  to  be  a  man  of 
steady  habits  and  stern  qualities  as  a  disciplinarian. 

uTo  the  mind  of  Archey  McFadden,  whose  eye- 
sight through  age  had  become  somewhat  impaired, 
there  were  good  and  bad  qualities  in  every  horse, 
as  in  every  boy.  As  to  appearances — well,  they 
were  the  most  deceptive  things  in  the  world,  as  he 
had  discovered  on  more  than  one  occasion.  If  a 
horse  had  a  record,  he  stood,  in  the  estimation  of 
Archey  McFadden,  the  equal  of  any  old  school- 
master with  a  university  diploma.  To  appear  at 
the  metropolis,  among  his  many  rivals,  as  the 
( champion  speller,'  astride  of  Tippecanoe — the 
very  thought  threw  Archey  into  ecstasies  of  delight! 

"  Long,  pinched  and  grim,  with  ruffled  shirt 
front,  high  standing  collar,  plaited  stock  with  sil- 
ver buckle,  coat  with  long  skirts,  high-topped 
beaver  with  broad  brim  perched  at  an  angle  of  ten 
degrees  on  his  well-shaped  cranium,  was  Afchey 
McFadden,  the  respected  schoolmaster,  as  he 
started  out  afoot  before  the  break  of  day  to  secure 
the  services  of  Tippecanoe,  once  the  most  famous 
trotter  in  Blackwell  county. 

u  After   paying   his  respects    to  the    numerous 


Arc  hey  and  Tippecanoe.  53 

tippling  stations,  to  partake  of  an  occasional  *  eye 
opener/  Archey  reached  the  end  of  his  journey,  as 
he  supposed,  long  before  the  owner  of  Tippecanoe 
had  awakened  from  his  peaceful  slumbers.  Hav- 
ing thrown  aside  his  austere  deportment  of  the 
school-room,  and  being  at  this  moment  in  a  happy 
frame  of  mind,  he  stepped  cautiously  around  the 
rickety  farm  buildings,  where,  to  his  delight,  he 
beheld  Tip,  the  object  of  his  longing  desires, 
munching  away  beside  a  pile  of  hay,  oblivious  of 
the  old  schoolmaster's  presence. 

u  4  And  indade,  and  here  ye  air,  me  darlint,  graz- 
ing away,  and  none  the  worse  for  a  night's  outing, 
save  the  night  air  and  the  fear  of  being  kidnaped 
by  some  jedge  of  valuable  horse-flesh.  And  a 
splendid  specimen  ye  are,  me  spirited  pet,  for  a 
truth,'  soliloquized  Archey,  as  he  stood  in  the 
early  morning  twilight  surveying  Tip  from  head 
to  foot.  4  A  little  weak  about  the  groins  and  a  wee 
bit  sprung  at  the  joints,  ye  are ;  but  its  a  lean  nag 
for  a  long  race,  as  I've  often  discivered  in  me  own 
case.  But  its  all  owing  to  the  precious  care  they've 
been  taking  of  ye  and  the  low  diet  you've  been  re- 
ceiving for  the  hard  work  that's  before  ye,  me 
darlint  beauty/ 

uThen  stepping  up  and  placing  his  brawny 
hand  upon  old  Tip's  shaggy  mane,  he  continued: 
4  Och,  me  darlint,  and  it's  a  handsome  figure  you'll 
be  cutting,  with  a  saddle  and  a  bridle,  and  Archey 
McFaddeu  astride  d'  you,  entering  themetropolis 


54  Nicholas  Comenius. 

of  Blackwell  county  !  Now,  if  ye' 11  be  only  after 
acting  a  little  dacent  by  a  stranger,  me  pet,  I'll  be 
after  mounting  yer  hide  for  a  trial  of  yer  speed  be- 
fore yer  master  can  catch  a  sight  of  yer  actions.' 

"  As  the  old  schoolmaster  with  one  bound  landed 
squarely  over  the  back  of  old  Tip,  he  was  startled 
by  the  sound  of  '  Stop  thief!' 

"  '  Och  and  it's  a  mighty  onpleasant  predicament 
for  a  respected  schoolmaster  to  be  occupying;  it  is 
for  "a  truth,'  soliloquized  Archey,  as  he  caught  sight 
of  the  owner  leaping  over  a  five-rail  fence. 

"  '  Oh,  ho !  a  pretty  time  of  day,  stranger,  to  be 
caught  prowling  around  the  old  plantation,  astride 
the  finest  roadster  in  Blackwell  county !  You  may 
be  a  judge  of  blooded  stock,  old  man,  but  to  get 
away  with  anything  more  than  your  own  hide  this 
fine  morning  will  require  a  little  more  nerve  than 
you  can  muster  up,  when  you're  caught  in  the  act 
of  spiriting  away  my  famous  Tippecanoe,'  ex- 
claimed the  now  seemingly  exasperated  owner,  as 
he  caught  the  old  schoolmaster  by  his  plaited 
stock,  landing  him  squarely  on  the  broad  of  his 
back.  '  And  who  would  have  believed  it?  None 
other  than  old  Archey  McFadden,  the  respected 
schoolmaster  of  Sassafras  Ridge!  Pretty  late  in 
life  for  an  old  man  of  threescore  years  to  be  desert- 
ing the  school-room  for  a  calling  that'll  land  him 
in  the  penitentiary  for  the  balance  of  his  days.' 

u  'True  enough,'  replied  Archey,  almost  choking 
for  breath,  as  he  set  to  readjusting  his  neck-stock 


Archey  and  Tippecanoe.  5  5 

and  the  folds  of  his  coat-tails;  '  it's  a  blasted  repu- 
tation and  a  broken  character,  it  is  for  a  truth. 
But  may  the  holy  angels  bear  me  witness,  it's  only 
for  the  loan  of  the  handsome  critter  that  Tin  both- 
ering ye  at  this  time  o'  day.' 

"'Ah,  ha!  it's  to  the  county-seat  to  attend  the 
spelling  contest,  then,  that  brings  you  here,'  ex- 
claimed farmer  Stern,  as  he  assisted  Archey  to  his 
feet  and  grasped  him  by  the  hand. 

u  '  It  is,  and  may  the  holy  St.  Patrick  witness  me 
words,'  came  the  cringing  reply. 

"  '  Oh,  then  take  him,  my  old  friend,  but  on  one 
condition — promise  me  that  under  no  circumstances 
will  you  allow  his  speed  to  exceed  the  three-minute 
limit,  unless  hard  pressed  by  some  gallant  knight 
of  the  turf.' 

u  It  took  but  a  few  moments  to  place  old  Tip 
under  saddle,  and  as  Archey  mounted  and  rode 
away  exultantly  toward  the  metropolis,  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  voice  of  farmer  Stern  :  c  Remember, 
a  safe  return  of  Tippecanoe,  at  a  risk  of  a  hundred 
dollars  upon  the  head  of  your  schoolmastership ! ' 

"  The  sun  had  risen  high  over  the  broad  acres  of 
Bla-ckwell  county,  as  Archey  made  his  way  through 
the  little  hamlet,  near  by  which  stood  his  own 
temple  of  learning.  To  the  right  and  to  the  left 
he  cast  furtive  glances,  but  no  human  form  was  to 
be  seen.  From  remote  nooks  and  corners,  how- 
ever, were  eyes  peering  out  at  the  ungainly  object 
of  their  cruel  imposition.  The  snorting  and 


56  Nicholas  Comenius. 

wheezing  of  old  Tip  could  be  distinctly  heard ; 
while  soaring  aronnd  and  above,  a  stray  vulture 
was  awaiting  a  favorable  opportunity  to  pounce 
down  on  its  helpless  prey.  The  old  schoolmaster, 
conscious  of  the  rich  blood  that  was  flowing 
through  the  veins  of  Tippecanoe,  and  the  reception 
which  awaited  himself  at  the  county  seat,  was  in  a 
state  of  most  perfect  contentment.  He  neither 
heard  the  snorts  and  wheezes,  nor  felt  the  pressure 
of  his  own  weight  on  the  dry  bones  of  his  gallant 
steed,  for  his  mind  was  dwelling  on  more  moment- 
ous issues. 

uUp  hill  and  down  hill,  Archey  continued  to 
plod  along,  in  all  the  dignity  becoming  the  tallest 
schoolmaster  in  Blackwell  county.  Failing  at  a 
critical  moment,  however,  to  keep  a  stiff  rein  on 
the  blooded  roadster  in  descending  a  hill,  by  a 
sudden  mishap  Archey  went  sprawling  headlong 
to  the  earth  beneath.  Gathering  himself  together 
as  best  he  could,  his  first  effort  was  to  assist  old 
Tip  to  his  feet ;  when  to  his  astonishment  he  be- 
held the  loss  of  one  eye  and  the  partial  eclipse  of 
the  other.  By  one  of  those  sudden  gasps,  so  pe- 
culiar to  confirmed  cribbers,  he  made  another  im- 
portant discovery — that  the  celebrated  trotter  was 
not  only  deficient  in  eyesight,  but  was,  at  the  same 
time,  as  toothless  as  himself.  A  further  inspection 
satisfied  him  that  while  he  was  resting  firmly  on 
his  '  all  fours,'  the  shoes  had  disappeared,  but  how 
or  where  was  not  so  clear  to  his  uow  befuddled 


Archey  and  Tippecanoe.  57 

comprehension.  To  provide  for  the  loss  of  the 
shoes  was  to  the  mind  of  Archey  an  easy  matter ; 
but  to  equip  the  old  nag  with  a  pair  of  new  eyes 
and  a  full  set  of  teeth,  required  a  knowledge  of 
veterinary  surgery  which  he  did  not  possess. 

"  A  crisis  had  now  arisen  in  the  life  of  Archey 
McFadden.  His  first  purpose  was  to  retrace  his 
steps  in  search  of  the  missing  property;  but  the 
thought  of  Gad  Day,  the  shortest-set  school  master 
in  Black  well  county,  carrying  off  first  honor  at  the 
spelling  contest,  was  more  than  human  nature 
could  endure.  Reaching  a  level  stretch  of  road  in 
the  suburbs  of  the  metropolis,  with  the  sun  at  its 
highest  meridian,  Archey  made  one  desperate  effort 
to  revive  the  latent  energies  of  his  trusty  steed. 
Arranging  his  hat  on  the  side  of  his  head  at  an 
angle  of  ten  degrees  to  windward,  to  catch  the 
breeze,  and  spreading  the  flaps  of  his  coat-tails  on 
either  side  of  Tip,  he  pressed  first  one  heel  and  then 
the  other  into  the  ribs  of  the  snorting  nag.  To 
and  fro,  up  and  down,  the  tall,  slender  form  of 
Archey  McFadden  swayed  from  side  to  side,  sing- 
ing aloud  his  favorite  song  of  ( Tippecanoe  and 
Tyler  too, '  as  he  entered  the  main  thoroughfare  of 
the  county  seat. 

" 4  Clear  the  track,  men,  for  there  he  comes,  like 
one  of  the  knights  of  the  seventeenth  century/ 
cried  one,  as  he  waved  his  hat  to  the  crowd.  l  Out 
with  your  old  time-pieces,  men,  and  give  him  the 
benefit  of  the  record  he's  making/  cried  another! 


58  Nicholas  Comenius. 

'Give  him  the  spur,  old  man,  and  keep  a  stiff  rein 
on  him,'  came  the  voice  of  Gad  Day,  as  the  hat  of 
the  rider  went  sailing  off  in  a  gust  of  wind  over  the 
heads  of  the  by-standers.  'You're  a  horseman 
worthy  of  the  name  of  Archey  McFadden!'  came 
the  voice  of  Farmer  Stern,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 

u  But  with  these  words  there  was  a  momentary 
pause.  Men  and  women  came  flocking  into  the 
street,  uttering  shrieks  and  throwing  up  their  hands 
in  despair ;  for  the  famous  roadster  had  made  an- 
other and  a  fatal  misstep — had  collapsed  and  fallen 
into  a  heap  before  their  very  eyes,  where,  after  a 
few  spasmodic  gasps,  came  the  end  of  all  that  was 
mortal  of  old  Tippecanoe. 

"  But  what  had  become  of  Archey,  the  old  school- 
master, who  a  moment  before  was  shooting  through 
the  town,  like  a  meteor — but  now  nowhere  to  be 
seen  ?  Old  men  rubbed  their  eyes  and  shook  their 
heads,  declaring  that  the  sudden  disappearance  of 
old  Archey  McFadden  baffled  their  comprehension. 
4  Summon  a  jury,  men,'  said  one;  and  ( L,et  the  evi- 
dence be  taken  to  be  handed  down  to  posterity,' 
cried  another. 

uThe  first  witness  was  the  little  Dutch  Burgess, 
who,  after  crossing  his  breast  three  times  in  succes- 
sion, declared  that  he  had  actually  seen  the  old 
schoolmaster  caught  in  the  talons  of  one  of  those 
unearthly  scavengers  that  had  been  hovering  over 
the  carcass  of  the  old  horse  at  the  very  moment 
that  Archey  had  ascended  high  up  into  the  air. 


Arc  hey  and  Tippecanoe.  59 

"'Call  for  old  Mother  Gramm!'  exclaimed  the 
Burgess.  '  Open  the  way,  men ;'  and  a  moment 
later  there  stood  the  little  shriveled  body,  the  great 
expounder  of  the  doctrine  of  4  Faith  Cure,'  holding 
in  her  hand  a  copy  of  the  '  Long  Lost  Friend,'  a 
book  of  divination,  at  that  early  day  exceedingly 
popular  among  the  superstitious.  After  repeating 
certain  disarranged  letters  of  the  alphabet,  and  cast- 
ing her  eyes  first  in  one  direction,  then  in  another, 
she  proceeded  to  account  for  the  sudden  and  mirac- 
ulous disappearance  of  Archey  McFadden,  the  re- 
spected schoolmaster,  in  the  following  graphic 
manner:  She  confirmed  the  statement  of  the  Dutch 
Burgess  in  one  particular;  declared  that  after 
Archey  had  ascended  to  a  great  height  the  weight 
of  his  sins  had  suddenly  turned  his  course  in  a 
downward  direction ;  that  after  striking  the  earth, 
his  Satanic  majesty  had  carried  him  down  into 
perdition,  through  the  soft  stratum  of  mud  for 
which  the  streets  of  the  metropolis  had  for  genera- 
tions been  noted. 

"This  explanation,  conforming  in  every  par- 
ticular to  an  old  traditionary  legend  that  had  been 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  was 
accepted  by  the  [knowing  ones  as  in  all  respects 
the  most  plausible  and  convincing  ;  for  there  at 
the  very  spot  at  which  Archey  had  gone  down  as 
a  punishment  for  his  many  sins  of  omission  and 
commission,  lay  his  high-crowned  beaver.  At  this 
important  juncture  and  by  way  of  additional  testi- 


60  Nicholas  Comenius. 

mony,  the  'oldest  inhabitant'  stepped  up  and  de- 
clared that  some  years  before,  a  young-  book-agent 
on  his  way  to  attend  a  school  board  meeting  had 
actually  disappeared  from  view,  going  down  at 
that  identical  spot. 

"  As  old  Granny  Gramin  was  in  the  act  of  placing 
her  4  Long-Lost  Friend/  within  the  folds  of  her 
dress,  preparatory  to  her  departure,  a  loui  shrill 
voice  came  from  the  off  side  of  a  big  board  fence 
directly  opposite.  4  And  remember  it's  a  hundred 
dollars  that  will  be  placed  as  embargo  on  the  head 
of  Archey  McFadden  for  the  toss  of  the  baste.' 
Old  men  and  young  men  stretched  their  long  necks 
forward  in  the  direction  whence  the  sound  came. 
'  There  he  is,  and  may  the  Lord  preserve  his  soul 
in  peace !'  cried  Gad  Day,  who  had  mounted  the 
carcass  of  old  Tip  by  way  of  adding  to  his  own 
stature.  With  one  bound  the  tall  slender  form  of 
Archey  McFadden  cleared  the  high  fence  and  stood 
with  tears  in  his  eyes  weeping  over  the  remains  of 
old  Tippecanoe,  none  the  worse  for  the  exciting 
escapade  which  had  landed  him  unharmed  on  the 
remnants  of  an  adjacent  straw-pile. 

"  Words  of  congratulation  now  began  to  pour  in 
upon  Archey  for  his  miraculous  escape.  But  old 
Granny  Gramm  with  her  4  Long-Lost  Friend  '  had 
quietly  escaped  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment. 
A  reconciliation  was  now  effected,  and  Farmer  Stern 
relieved  the  old  schoolmaster  from  the  hundred- 
dollar  embargo  on  his  schoolmastership.  Then, 


Archey  and  Tippecanoe.  6 1 

with  Archey  in  the  lead,  they  all  betook  them- 
selves to  the  old  school-house,  where  the  luckless 
rider  of  Tippecanoe  succeeded  in  carrying  off  the 
first  honor. 

"For  years  thereafter  Archey  McFadden,  the 
old  schoolmaster  of  Sassafras  ridge,  continued  to 
keep  school  in  the  old  log  house,"  concluded 
Comenius,  "but  he  was  never  seen  thereafter 
astride  of  any  old  nag,  preferring,  as  he  declared, 
to  depend  on  his  own  shanks  to  carry  him  in  safety 
to  and  from  teachers'  meeting." 


CHAPTER  V. 

DWELLING  IN  THE  SHADOW. 

IT  was  on  the  morning  succeeding  my  visit  to 
the  office  of  Comenius,  that  I  found  him  in  earnest 
conversation  with  a  number  of  teachers.  They 
had  come  for  consolation  and  friendly  advice, 
touching  important  issues  involved  in  their  daily 
routine  of  labor.  Among  the  number  were  two  or 
three,  bent  and  haggard,  resting  under  the  educa- 
tional burdens  of  many  winters ;  while  of  the 
others,  a  few  were  young  women,  upon  whose 
pallid  features  was  distinctly  traceable  the  imprint 
of  the  burdens  they  too  had  been  carrying  to  and 
from  the  school-room  in  their  daily  walks. 

"  You  seem  to  be  in  a  more  than  usually  happy 
frame  of  mind,"  I  suggested  to  Nicholas,  as  one 
after  the  other  had  departed. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  it  requires  a  happy  disposi- 
tion to  be  an  educator,  for  there  is  no  other  pro- 
fession in  the  world  where  a  kind  and  loving 
nature  is  more  necessary  than  in  the  teacher's 
calling ;  and  yet  in  the  school-room,  where  all 
should  be  love  and  sunshine,  may  often  be  found 
teachers  old  and  young,  of  both  sexes,  living  in  the 
62 


Dwelling  in  the  Shadow.  63 

very  darkness  of  their  own  shadow.  Indeed,  my 
friend,"  he  continued,  as  we  walked  along  arm  in 
arm,  "  I  have  often  thought  that  old  John  Bunyan 
must  have  been  inspired  by  some  faithful,  consci- 
entious teacher,  when  he  wrote  his  famous  Pil- 
grim's Progress.  If  Christian,  the  pilgrim,  had 
his  share  of  trials  and  difficulties  of  a  spiritual 
nature,  the  overworked  teacher  is  not  without  his 
share  of  burdens,  although  of  a  somewhat  different 
character.  Of  those  whom  I  met  only  a  few 
moments  ago,"  he  added  after  a  moment's  hesita- 
tion, "  each  had  his  tale  of  woe — all  heavily  mort- 
gaged with  a  weight  of  cares  and  responsibilities 
resting  upon  their  shoulders,  some  real,  others 
imaginary.  These  burdens  once  assumed,  often- 
times continue  to  follow  the  young  teacher  even 
into  the  social  walks  of  life,  endangering  health 
and  strength  of  body  and  mind. 

"  Ah,  my  friend,"  said  he,  after  another  pause, 
"if  teachers  would  only  cultivate  the  habit  of  look- 
ing on  the  sunny  side  of  life,  how  much  sooner 
would  they  forget  its  shadows!  How  often  have  I 
looked  in  upon  a  school  only  to  find  the  master 
sullen  and  dejected.  No  pleasant  smile  caught  my 
eye  as  I  stepped  forward  and  shook  him  by  the 
hand.  And  as  I  cast  my  eyes  over  the  school, 
looking  for  a  ray  of  sunshine  which  failed  to  greet 
me,  how  often  would  I  say,  '  Old  man,  you  are 
dwelling  in  the  shadow,  instead  of  on  the  sunny 
side  of  life. ' 


64  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"Only  a  short  time  ago,  in  one  of  my  official 
visits  to  a  district  school,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to 
meet  a  young  lady  teacher — young  did  I  say  ? — oh, 
no,  my  friend,"  said  Nicholas,  "  for  during  her 
short  experience  she  had  changed  from  a  rosy-faced 
girl  of  eighteen  into  a  little,  nervous,  old  woman. 
One  glance  at  her  pinched  features  and  sallow  com- 
plexion satisfied  me  that  she  had  been  living  in  the 
shadow;  but  where  to  locate  the  cause  that  had 
produced  the  gloom,  whether  in  the  school  or  in 
her  own  home  life,  I  did  not  know. 

"  The  school-room  was  large,  and  the  ventilation, 
while  not  what  it  should  have  been,  was  above  the 
average.  I  examined  the  roll-book,  and  in  punc- 
tuality and  prompt  attendance  there  was  little 
cause  for  complaint.  A  score  or  more  of  young 
faces  would  now  and  then  bob  up  and  catch  my 
eye,  and  as  suddenly  disappear  behind  their  books 
or  slates.  Yes,  there  too  I  saw  the  same  shadow 
that  was  hanging  like  a  pall  over  the  young 
teacher.  It  hung  over  the  recitations  in  grammar, 
in  arithmetic,  in  geography;  it  rested  over  the 
pages  of  the  reading-book,  blighting  every  poetic 
inspiration;  it  would  follow  the  little  ones  to  the 
playground,  thence,  by  the  rippling  brook  and 
smiling  meadow,  to  their  homes,  there  perchance  to 
find  lodgment  in  the  heart  of  some  fond  mother. 
For  an  hour  or  more  I  sat  watching  for  a  ray  of 
sunshine,  for  I  felt  that  deep  down  in  those  tender 
hearts  was  hidden  a  spark  which  needed  but  a  kind 


Dwelling  in  the  Shadow.  65 

word  from  the  teacher  to  dispel  the  surrounding 
gloom. 

"At  last,  the  exercises  being  over,  with  much 
solicitude  and  a  heavy  heart  the  teacher  stepped  to 
my  side  and  said :  4  Oh,  Mr.  Superintendent,  I  am 
so  happy  to  meet  you !  I  want  to  open  my  heart 
to  you  and  tell  you  of  my  many  trials  and  difficul- 
ties. Indeed,  Sir,  I  know  that  you  will  sympathize 
with  one  whose  troubles  are  almost  too  weighty  to 
bear.' 

"  4  Oh,  have  you  met  with  the  loss  of  some  dear 
friend?'  I  soothingly  replied. 

"  '  No,'  she  answered  as  she  shrugged  her  shoul- 
ders in  a  nervous  manner,  '  all  my  troubles  are  to  be 
found  right  here  in  the  school-room  ;  and  if  some- 
thing isn't  soon  done  to  bring  John  into  subjection, 
I  fear  I  shall  be  compelled  to  resign  my  position.' 

"  c  Is  John  the  only  lad  who  has  clouded  all  the 
sunshine  of  your  life  ? '  I  asked. 

"  '  Oh,  no,'  came  her  hesitating  reply  ;  ( if  it  isn't 
John  it  is  sure  to  be  one  of  the  other*  boys. ' 

" '  Come,  now,  my  young  friend,'  I  suggested  in 
the  same  subdued  tone,  c  point  out  this  shadow  that 
has  driven  all  the  sunshine  out  of  your  little 
school. ' 

" c  Over  there  in  the  corner,  by  the  water  pail, 
he  stands,  Sir,  as  a  punishment  for  his  misdeeds,' 
came  the  reply,  as  she  pointed  to  a  half-grown  lad 
who  stood  alone,  with  trousers  tucked  into  his 
raw-hide  boots. 


66  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"'Is  he  maliciously  inclined?'  I  asked,  'and 
have  you  resorted  to  every  effort  to  bring  his  re- 
fractory nature  under  control?' 

"  '  Oh,  no,  not  particularly  maliciously  inclined, 
not  by  any  means ;  but  he  is  given  to  so  many  an- 
noying pranks  as  to  almost  exhaust  one's  patience.' 

"  '  Ah,  I  see ;  but  have  you  spoken  kindly  to 
him,  reasoned  with  him  as  you  would  with  this 
curly-haired  girl  by  your  side — in  other  words, 
have  you  endeavored  to  reach  the  sunny  side  of 
his  life?" 

"  'The  sunny  side  of  his  life,  Mr.  Superintendent! 
Why,  what  is  the  use  of  looking  for  what  he  doesn't 
possess  ?' 

" '  Well,  suppose  you,  in  a  kindly  way,  step  over 
and  tell  him  the  Superintendent  wishes  to  speak 
to  him.' 

'"It  will  afford  me  pleasure  to  do  so,  Mr.  Super- 
intendent— only  too  willing  to  perform  an  act  of 
duty.'  Then  turning  and  stamping  her  foot  on 
the  hard  floor,  she  called  out  in  a  shrill  command- 
ing tone  :  'John,  come  forward  this  very  moment ; 
do  you  hear,  or  must  I  repeat  the  summons?' 

u  For  a  moment  or  two  John,  the  young  culprit, 
stood  almost  paralyzed ;  then,  with  the  hot  blood 
rushing  to  his  face  and  the  eyes  of  the  school  rest- 
ing upon  him,  he  came  straggling  forward  to  meet 
his  doom. 

"  '  Here  he  is,  Mr.  Superintendent,  and  the  worst 
boy  in  the  whole  school,'  came  the  shrill  voice  of 


Dwelling  in  the  Shadow.  67 

the  teacher,  as  if  the  more  completely  to  envelop 
him  in  shadow. 

"  Believing  in  the  efficacy  of  kind  words,  I  said : 
'  Come,  come,  my  lad,  give  me  your  hand ;  do  not 
hesitate,  for  I  too  was  a  boy  once  upon  a  time.' 
Then  placing  my  hand  upon  his  head,  I  caught  a 
momentary  glimpse  of  his  large  blue  eyes  and  con- 
tinued, 'Do  you  ever  smile,  my  boy?" 

" '  I — I — never  —  smile  —  in  —  the  —  school-room, 
Mr.,  for  the  mistress  never  smiles  at  me/ 

uAs  these  words  came  in  half-suppressed  sobs, 
his  eyes  fell  and  tears  covered  his  face. 

u  Ah,  my  friend,  the  veil  might  here  be  drawn, 
for  the  victory  had  been  won,  in  so  far,  at  least,  as 
John  was  concerned,"  added  Comenius,  as  he  con- 
tinued to  draw  a  series  of  hieroglyphics  with  the 
point  of  his  cane  in  the  hard  dry  sand.  "  As  I 
looked  around  over  the  school  I  noticed  here  and 
there  a  little  coat-sleeve  as  it  was  drawn  over  eyes 
from  which  flowed  tears  of  sympathy  for  John, 
their  comrade  and  playmate.  But  there  stood 
Mary,  the  young  mistress  !  It  was  necessary  to  go 
a  step  further,  for  she  still  stood  in  the  shadow. 

" (  Now,  tell  me,  my  lad,'  I  continued,  as  I  drew 
him  closer  to  my  side,  c  have  you  a  pleasant  home, 
and  are  your  father  and  mother,  sisters  and  brothers 
kind  and  loving?' 

"  '  Haven't  got  any,  Mr.' 

utNo  home?  no  father  or  mother,  sisters  or 
brothers?' 


68  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"  '  No,  I've  never  had  any  sisters  or  brothers,  and 
father  and  mother  died  before  I  could  remember.' 
"  ' And  where  do  you  live,  my  lad  ? ' 
"'Am  doing  days'  work,  Mr.,  for  farmer  Nash, 
who  lives  four  miles  beyond  the  school.' 
"  'Well,  has  he  any  boys  or  girls,  my  lad?' 
"  'Never  saw  any,  Mr.,  that  I  can  remember.' 
"'Can  you  sing,  John?'  I  asked,  as  I  watched 
the  effect  on  the  teacher's  expression. 

"  'No,  it's  not  allowed  around  the  farm,  Mr.,  and 
the  mistress  won't  permit  it  in  the  school-room.' 

"'Come,  come,'  I  said,  as  I  arose  and  looked, 
first  at  the  conscientious  but  misguided  teacher, 
and  then  at  the  long  rows  of  anxious  faces :  '  what 
this  school  needs,  what  the  boys  and  girls  need, 
and  what  the  teacher  needs  too,  is  plenty  of  warm 
sunshine.  Throw  open  the  windows  of  your  young 
hearts,  and  let  the  light  dispel  the  shadows. 
Mary,'  I  said,  as  I  took  her  by  the  hand,  '  cultivate 
the  habit  of  looking  on  the  sunny  side  of  life,  and 
you  will  soon  forget  the  time  when  you  dwelt  in 
the  shadow.  John,  my  rough  diamond,  give  your 
hand  to  the  teacher,  and  promise  her  before  the 
whole  school  that  on  each  morning  you  will  meet 
her  with  a  pleasant  smile  on  your  face.' 

"As  the  sunny  side  of  John's  better  nature 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  sunlight  that  had  broken 
through  the  shadow  of  the  young  teacher's  soul, 
Mary  turned  to  me  and  said :  '  Oh,  Mr.  Superin- 
tendent, I  am  so  glad  you  came.' 


Dwelling  in  the  Shadow.  69 

"Then  I  drew  forth  the  following  beautiful  lines, 
and  leading  off  we  sang : 

"  '  Let  us  gather  up  the  sunbeams,  lying  all  around  our  path; 
Let  us  keep  the  wheat  and  roses,  casting  out  the  thorns  and  chaff; 
Let  us  find  our  sweetest  comforts  in  the  blessings  of  to-day, 
With  a  patient  hand  removing  all  the  briers  from  the  way. ' 

"There  wasn't  much  music  in  the  boys  and  girls, 
nor  in  the  little  mistress,  but  there  was  plenty  of 
love  and  warm  sunshine. 

"Yes,  my  friend,"  added  Nicholas,  as  I  turned 
to  leave  him  ;  "in  that  short  hour's  visit,  I  saw  the 
shadow  lifted  from  that  little  school.  As  the  mis- 
tress bade  me  good-bye,  she  turned  and  said,  with  a 
smile  that  for  months  had  been  hidden  under  the 
shadow:  (Oh,  Mr.  Superintendent,  John  isn't  at  all 
the  boy  that  I  imagined  him  to  be.  I  now  see  that 
his  little  heart  is  full  of  sunshine.'  '  Ah?  I  replied, 
as  I  withdrew,  '  cultivate  the  habit  of  looking  on 
the  sunny  side  of  life,  and  you  will  soon  forget  you 
were  dwelling  in  its  shadow.' 

"  And  so,  my  friend,  when  I  see  an  old  school- 
master crochety  and  out  of  touch  with  the  school 
and  its  environment,  I  am  inclined  to  say :  '  Get 
out  of  the  shadow  and  into  the  sunshine.'  When 
I  meet,  as  I  often  do,  the  young  beginner  who  is 
forever  complaining  of  the  salary,  the  length  of 
school  term  and  the  school  officials,  I  am  prone  to 
remark :  '  Young  man,  keep  on  the  sunny  side  of 
life  and  avoid  the  shadow.'  Above  all  others,  let 


70  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  Superintendent,  in  his  official  visits,  not  forget 
that  over  and  around  the  young  teacher  he  may 
cast  a  shadow  that  will  darken  each  little  heart, 
and  cling  to  the  teacher  forever  after. 

"Ah,n  concluded  Nicholas,  as  I  took  my  de- 
parture, u  life  consists  not  so  much  in  length  of 
years  as  in  a  sunny  disposition !  Cultivate  the 
habit  of  looking  on  the  sunny  side  of  life,  and  the 
battle  is  won  from  the  very  beginning/' 


CHAPTER  VI. 
"MOTHER,  HOME  AND  HEAVEN." 

As  the  reader  has  already  noted,  with  Nicholas 
Comenius  a  good  story,  like  a  faithful  old  school- 
master, always  had  the  right  of  way.  His  sense 
of  humor  was  not  dulled  by  advancing  years.  I 
remember  once  in  his  later  days,  when  we  were 
together  looking  back  on  the  past,  he  smiled  and 
said: 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  a  good  school  yarn  is  always  in 
order.  They  are  apt  to  come  to  the  surface  at  each 
directors'  meeting,  or  teachers'  examination,  when 
least  expected.  Some,  it  is  true,  are  remembered 
for  a  day  and  then  forgotten  ;  while  others,  like 
hard  cider,  increase  in  flavor  the  older  they  get. 
There,  for  instance,  is  the  '  Mother,  Home  and 
Heaven '  yarn,  which  isn't  as  old  as  Zaccheus  and 
his  telescope,  nor  has  it  the  age  of  the  time-worn 
map  hanging  over  on  the  office  wall ;  but  it  well 
illustrates  the  methods  of  the  modern  school-book 
peddler  on  one  hand,  and  the  susceptibility  of  the 
average  school  trustee  to  fall  from  grace  on  the 
other. 

"  'Twas  along  about  six  months  ago,  as  the  story 

7* 


72  Nicholas  Comenius. 

runs,  that  the  little  episode  occurred/'  said  Nicholas, 
as  he  arose,  only  to  recognize,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  street,  the  veritable  Deacon  Green.  u  It  was 
at  a  season  of  the  year,  too,  when  school  boards  are 
always  sure  to  have  a  fair  crop  of  book  agents,  even 
though  they  should  fall  short  of  a  plentiful  supply 
of  the  necessaries  of  life,  that  Ned  Pendegrist,  the 
authorized  agent  of  a  Chicago  book  concern,  acci- 
dentally happened  to  learn  of  a  contemplated 
change  in  the  reading  books  of  Stormtown  Dis- 
trict. Jumping  into  his  conveyance  one  fine  July 
morning,  Ned  started  out,  bent  on  converting  the 
deacon,  the  President  of  the  Board,  to  a  favorable 
consideration  of  his  own  particular  series  of  Read- 
ers, before  the  secular  affairs  of  the  week  could  in 
any  way  affect  the  religious  impressions  made  upon 
his  mind  the  day  previous.  But  to  work  the 
deacon  was  a  mighty  ticklish  operation,  for  the 
reason  that  he  had  been  elected  a  school  trustee  on 
account  of  his  high  standing  in  the  village  church, 
and  the  forcible  way  he  had  of  saying  No  at  the 
opportune  moment.  In  fact,  on  more  than  one 
occasion  at  a  school  board  meeting  he  had  been 
known  to  spring  to  his  feet  and  exclaim,  '  No ! 
emphatically  Nof  to  the  consternation  of  the 
other  members,  even  before  he  had  fully  stated  the 
motion,  on  which  a  vote  was  to  follow.  Prior  to 
his  own  election,  as  a  member  of  Stormtown  school 
board,  when  hearing  of  any  purchases  in  the  way 
of  globes,  maps  or  charts,  he'd  exclaim  in  his  most 


"Mother,  Home  and  Heaven''  73 

emphatic  manner :  ( What  I  regard,  gentlemen,  as 
the  greatest  weakness  in  our  whole  educational 
system,  is  the  cowardice  of  our  local  directorship — 
their  lack  of  moral  courage  to  say  No  at  the  proper 
time.' 

uNed  Pendegrist,  you  see,  was  not  without  his 
misgivings  as  to  his  ability  to  meet  and  overcome 
the  whims  and  caprices  of  the  deacon's  strong  in- 
dividuality. It  is  true  he  had  in  a  theoretical  way 
studied  the  old  man's  peculiarities;  had  prepared 
no  less  than  half  a  dozen  well-digested  plans  for 
attacking  the  weaker  part  of  his  nature ;  had 
studied  his  physiognomy  as  he  walked  the  streets 
of  the  metropolis  on  special  occasions  ;  but  withal, 
when  the  time  came  to  put  his  theories  into  prac- 
tice, there  was  doubt  and  uncertainty  depicted  on 
the  young  agent's  countenance.  However,  when 
he  reached  the  farm,  there  stood  the  pious  deacon 
by  the  roadside,  engaged  in  superintending  the  ad- 
justment of  a  newly-purchased  reaping  machine. 
This  was  more  than  the  young  man  had  antici- 
pated, for  while  he  was  prepared  to  take  a  hand  in 
a  general  discussion  involving  even  the  Scriptures, 
in  the  quiet  retreat  of  the  deacon's  home  life,  he 
was  hardly  prepared  to  encounter  him  on  the  public 
thoroughfare.  Drawing  his  team  squarely  up  to 
the  fence,  and  motioning  the  deacon  to  the  side  of 
his  conveyance,  he  began  in  his  most  gracious 
manner : 

"'I   believe    I    have   the   honor  of    addressing 


74  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Farmer  Green,  the  President  of  Stormtown  School 
Board,  and  at  the  same  time  a  deacon  in  the  village 
parish  ?' 

"'You  have,  young  man/  came  the  curt  re- 
joinder of  Deacon  Green ;  'but  as  I've  little  time 
to  waste  on  strangers,  your  name  and  business 
would  greatly  facilitate  matters  at  the  very  out- 
start.  So  your  name  and  the  purpose  of  your  visit, 
young  man,  for  I  am  a  man  of  few  words.' 

"  *  My  —  my  name  is  Pendegrist,  Ned  Pende- 
grist ;  in  other  words,  Sir,  I  am  a  traveling  book' — 

"  c  Never  mind  sir,  your  business  I  fully  compre- 
hend. You're  not  the  first  book  peddler  that's 
been  strolling  round  through  the  district,  worrying 
the  very  life  out  of  the  other  members  of  the  Board, 
who  haven't  the  moral  courage  to  say  No.  Only 
yesterday,  one  of  your  clan  followed  the  deacon 
into  the  very  sanctuary  of  the  village  church,  knelt 
in  the  same  pew,  and  more  than  outdid  him  in  his 
profession  of  faith.  But  it  wouldn't  work,  young 
man.  The  deacon,  you  see,  is  a  little  too  well  up 
to  the  tricks  of  the  trade  to  be  caught  napping  in 
meeting  by  a  pious  young  book  peddler,  whose 
professions  of  faith  bore  the  ear-marks  of  his  daily 
occupation.' 

'"But  —  as  I  have  been  credibly  informed,' 
ejaculated  Ned  in  a  half-hearted  way,  ( that  Storm- 
town  School  Board  propose  to  make  a  change  in 
their  reading  books  at  the  coming  meeting,  I  con- 
cluded to  pay  my  respects  to  your  honor,  with  the 


"  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven''  75 

purpose  of  presenting  you  with  a  set  of  the  Auto- 
matic, Self-adjusting  Readers  for  comparison  and 
examination. '  Having  succeeded  in  breaking  the 
ice,  his  next  move  was  to  unstrap  his  grip-sack, 
which  stood  before  him  within  easy  reach. 

"  '  Hold  on,  young  man,'  came  the  voice  of  the 
deacon  ;  c  too  late,  too  late ! ' 

il  Straightening  himself  up,  Ned  replied :  l  Why, 
has  action  already  been  taken  by  the  school 
Board?' 

"•'No;  the  meeting  is  still  some  days  off;  but 
only  a  week  ago  I  received  a  set  of  Readers,  post- 
paid, and  if  the  deacon's  judgment  can  be  relied 
on,  and  he  thinks  it  can,  they  are  the  best  that 
have  entered  Stormtown  district  since  the  creation 
of  the  new  system.' 

U4Ah,  then  you  haven't  seen  the  very  latest 
Automatic  Series,  handsomely  'bound,  beautifully 
illustrated,  and  warranted  to  teach  the  whole  sub- 
ject of  reading  by  the  simple  device  of  touching  a 
button  within  the  cover  of  the  book.  Science,  you 
see,'  continued  Ned,  now  that  he  had  struck  upon 
a  train  of  thought  purely  original  with  himself, (  has 
been  accomplishing  wonders  of  late  in  the  material 
world,  and  is  liable  at  any  moment  to  enter  the 
broad  domain  of  education,  with  most  astonishing 
results  to  follow  in  the  near  future.  Why  bless 
me,  Deacon  !  everything  connected  with  the  school- 
room is  liable  at  any  moment  to  partake  of  auto- 
matic propulsion.  Both  teachers  and  directors, 


76  Nicholas  Comenius. 

many  of  whom  are  nothing  more  nor  less  than 
automata,  are  destined  sooner  or  later  to  step 
down  and  out  for  the  automatic  dispenser  of  know- 
ledge of  the  most  improved  pattern.  Better  get 
yourself  into  line,  Deacon,  by  taking  hold  of  the 
Automatic  Series  !  Many  of  the  school-rooms,  you 
see,  are  already  being  heated  by  electricity,  and  I 
am  credibly  informed  that  all  charts,  globes,  and  in 
fact,  all  other  school-room  paraphernalia,  are  so 
artistically  adjusted  as  to  convey  to  the  mind  of  the 
pupil  all  important  information  by  an  automatic 
arrangement  that  will  insure  to  the  rising  genera- 
tion a  most  thorough  education  at  the  lowest  pos- 
sible cost.  So  you  see,  my  worthy  friend/  con- 
tinued Ned,  in  his  persuasive  manner,  cthe  average 
school-book  agent  should  have  a  loftier  and  holier 
purpose  in  view  than  the  low,  mercenary  one,  that 
has  for  its  object  purely  selfish  gain.  I  claim,  Mr. 
President,  to  be  somewhat  of  a — Can  I  not  induce 
you,  Deacon  Green,  to  accept  a  set  of  the  Auto- 
matic Readers,  for  the  reasons  given?  T 

u '  No,  young  man !  The  reading  books  I  re- 
ceived may  not  contain  the  improvements  you 
mention,  but  they  nevertheless  fill  the  bill,  and 
when  the  Board  meets  they'll  go  in  sure  as  the 
deacon's  a  living  man.  I  want  to  say  in  conclusion, 
young  man,  that  when  the  deacon  was  a  lad,  attend- 
ing school  over  in  the  log  house,  he  didn't  know 
very  much  about  geography,  history,  arithmetic 
and  grammar,  but  he  was  always  the  best  reader  in 


"  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven^  77 

the  school.  And  so  when  the  Board  starts  out 
nowadays  on  a  visiting  crusade,  one  of  the  mem- 
bers manages  to  swing  the  geography  class  clear 
around  the  world  in  short  order ;  another  steps  for- 
ward, plants  himself  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  and 
with  history  in  hand,  rushes  the  class  like  an 
electric  motor  clear  through  the  whole  line  of 
Presidents  from  the  time  of  the  immortal  George 
Washington  down  to  the  present  day,  without  a 
mishap.  But,  young  man ; '  and  here  the  deacon 
assumed  his  favorite  attitude  when  in  the  school- 
room, 'when  it  comes  to  conducting  the  reading 
exercises,  the  Secretary  says,  "  Deacon  Green,  step 
forward  and  show  the  young  teacher  how  to  con- 
duct a  reading  class  with  life  and  animation  !  Read 
them  a  paragraph  or  two,  Deacon,  from  one  of  old 
Dan  Webster's  masterpieces,  that  used  to  sway  the 
masses  away  back  in  the  thirties !"  It  takes,  of 
course,  considerable  persuasion  to  get  the  deacon 
started ;  but  once  under  the  inspiration  of  the  old 
Senator,  tfiere  are  lively  times  around  that  old 
school-house,  I  can  assure  you,  young  man.  But 
when  I've  concluded  the  rendering  of  that  his- 
torical speech,  there  sit  the  teacher  and  the  whole 
school  in  tears,  while  over  on  the  long  bench  sit 
the  trustees  weeping  more  like  children  than  full- 
grown  men.  Then  the  Secretary,  looking  up  and 
wiping  away  the  big  tears,  will  say:  "Now,  Deacon 
Green,  give  the  young  lads  a  taste  of  something 
that'll  thrill  their  young  natures  with  joy,  and 


78  Nicholas  Comenius. 

make  them  feel  that  they're  all  soaring  off  among 
the  heavenly  planets ;  read  them,  Deacon,  your 
favorite  poetical  selection,  written  by  one  of  your 
distant  relatives ;  read  them  Darius  Green  and  his 
flying  machine. "  Inside  of  a  minute,  young  man, 
I'  11  have  the  whole  school  in  a  commotion ;  some 
holding  on  to  the  desks,  while  others  keep  dancing 
around,  feeling  that  they  are  sitting  right  beside 
the  deacon  on  Darius  Green's  flying  machine,  soar- 
ing around  among  the  planets.  Talk  about  your 
electric  motor,  young  man— why,  the  deacon's  got 
more  pent-up  electricity  in  his  system  than  would 
run  a  reaping  machine,  if  it  could  be  properly  gen- 
erated. ' 

u<  Deacon  Green,  you  are  just  the  kind  of  an 
electrician  I  am  in  search  of,'  was  Ned's  rejoinder. 
'With  a  set  of  the  Automatic  Readers  in  your 
hands  it  is  difficult  to  say  where  the  school 
might  not  eventually  land.  You  see,  the  books 
furnish  the  motor,  while  you  supply  the  electric 
current — connect  the  two,  and  the  whole  problem 
of  electrical  propulsion  is  solved,  and  Deacon 
Green  becomes  a  millionaire !  Think  of  it  Deacon, 
ponder  and  meditate  over  what  possibilities  are  in 
store  for  Deacon  Green's  family. — Allow  me,  Dea- 
con, to  insist  upon  your  accepting  a  set  of  the 
Automatic  Readers.' 

"  ( Impossible,  young  man;  for  when  the  deacon's 
mind's  made  up  there  isn't  any  power  under 
heaven  that's  going  to  change  it.' 


"  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven."  79 

"  Ned  Pendegrist,  reins  in  hand,  was  in  the  act 
of  starting  hopelessly  disgusted  towards  the  metro- 
polis of  Blackwell  county,  when  the  deacon  hailed 
him  again :  '  I  say,  my  young  friend,  does  your 
firm  publish  "  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven  ?"  See, 
there  was  a  smart  sort  of  a  chap  around  about  the 
farm  only  a  week  ago,  trying  to  sell  a  copy  to 
Grandmother  Green,  who's  already  passed  her 
eighty-ninth  milestone ;  but  as  the  young  peddler 
was  selling  on  the  subscription  plan,  and  not  in- 
clined to  favor  the  deacon  with  a  free  copy,  I  con- 
cluded IV!  wait  for  a  more  favorable  opportunity. 
Since  then,  the  pious  old  lady's  been  worrying 
herself  into  spasms  over  the  loss  of  that  book;  and 
if  anything  of  a  serious  nature  should  overtake  the 
tender-hearted  old  soul,  there'd  be  a  frightful  re- 
sponsibility resting  upon  the  deacon's  conscience.' 

"  c  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven  !  Why  bless  you, 
my  pious  friend,'  retorted  Ned — now  that  a  bright 
ray  of  hope  had  illumined  the  gloom — 'the  truth 
is,  deacon,  while  I've  never  heard  of  "  Mother 
Home  and  Heaven,"  there  isn't  a  book  of  any  kind 
published  under  heaven  that  Ned  Pendegrist  can't 
secure,  if  he  has  to  scour  the  world  to  find  it.' 

" (  By  the  way,  young  man,'  continued  the  dea- 
con, growing  more  familiar  and  patronizing,  '  what 
will  that  work  cost?' 

" ( Oh,  never  mind  the  cost,  deacon ;  leave  the 
cost  to  Ned  Pendegrist,  who'll  charge  it  up  to  profit 
and  loss.' 


80  Nicholas  Comenius. 

u'Ah!  mighty  kind  and  considerate  of  the  old 
lady's  feelings  you  are,  young  man.  Now,  let  me 
take  a  peep  through  that  First  Reader  of  the  Auto- 
matic Series,  for  your  arguments  have  been  kind 
of  working  on  the  deacon's  feelings.'  (Adjusts  his 
glasses,  reaches  for  and  examines  it  with  the  eye 
of  a  trained  critic,  and  then  inquires  :)  (  How  soon 
will  that  book  reach  the  old  lady  ?' 

"  4  Oh,  I'll  write  for  it  this  very  evening,  and  by 
Friday  it'll  be  in  the  hands  of  Grandmother 
Green,'  replied  Ned  as  he  drew  himself  together. 

u  4  Now,  young  man,  let  me  take  a  peep  through 
the  Fifth  Reader,  for  a  good  series  is  always  judged 
by  the  higher  work.'  (Fumbles  over  page  after 
page,  nods  his  head  approvingly,  readjusts  his 
spectacles,  rubs  a  leaf  between  his  fingers,  holds  it 
up  between  his  eyes  and  the  sun  and  soliliquizes :) 
4  Seems  to  have  the  staying  qualities  for  wear  and 
tear,  and  the  magnetic  touch  calculated  to  thrill 
a  boy's  very  nature  !  And  the  illustrations  and  the 
typography !  No  second  rate  workmanship  on 
these  !  Why  bless  me,  if  here  isn't  a  speech  from 
old  Dan  Webster,  another  from  the  immortal 
George  Washington,  and  a  third  from  Abe  Lincoln. 
None  of  these  to  be  found  in  the  other  series. 
And  best  of  all,  my  favorite  poem  (worth  the  price 
of  the  whole  set)  Darius  Green  and  his  Flying 
Machine!  Are  you  sure,  dead  sure,  that  book'll 
come  through  the  mail  in  a  few  days,  young  man  ?' 
exclaimed  the  now  converted  deacon.  '  Well  now, 


"  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven"  81 

Pendegrist,  if  Deacon  Green,  the  President  of 
Stormtown  district,  is  a  judge  of  good  reading,  and 
he  thinks  he  is,  the  Automatic  Series  has  the  in- 
side track  by  a  large  majority.  Take  the  advice 
of  the  deacon,  young  man,  and  strike  for  the  me- 
tropolis of  Blackwell  county.  No  use  wasting  any 
of  your  valuable  time  on  the  other  trustees !  Be 
sure  to  call  around  at  the  little  log  school-house, 
two  p.  m.  Saturday,  and  you'll  find  the  contract 
signed,  sealed  and  ready  for  delivery. ' 

" '  Oh,  ever  so  considerate,  deacon !  Much  obliged 
for  the  timely  examination  you  have  given  the 
Automatic  Series, '  was  Ned's  parting  salute  as  he 
drew  the  reins  on  his  trusty  mare. 

"  'Don't  mention  it,  young  man  ;  its  all  for  the 
good  of  the  cause,'  responded  the  deacon,  as  he  set 
to  readjusting  certain  parts  of  the  newly  invented 
reaper — musingly  humming  '  Mother,  Home  and 
Heaven,'  to  which  he  had  unconsciously  applied 
an  old  familiar  air. 

"  As  Ned  Pendegrist  drove  up  to  the  little  log 
school-house  at  the  appointed  hour,  his  heart  was 
full  of  doubt  and  uncertainty  as  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  deacon,  surrounded  by  a  covey  of 
book  agents  with  whom  he  seemed  to  be  in  earnest 
conversation. 

"  'A  little  late,  Ned,"  observed  the  president  at 
the  first  opportune  moment. 

u  '  Why  ? — anything  gone  wrong  ?' 

"  '  Oh,  no,  but  the  other  agents  have  been  prowl- 
6 


82  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ing  around  the  district  since  sun-up,  and  they've 
just  been  comparing  notes  and  showing  their 
hand.  All  seem  to  have  the  same  number  of 
promises,  five  in  all,  which  clearly  prove  the  charge 
frequently  made  by  the  deacon,  that  the  average 
director  don't  know  how  or  when  to  say  No. 

" '  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven  reach  you  all  right 
side  up  with  care?'  good-naturedly  inquired  Ned. 

" '  Better  believe  it,  young  man,  and  it  proves 
beyond  doubt  that  Ned  Pendegrist  is  a  man  of  his 
word. ' 

"An  hour  later,  as  Ned  was  industriously  en- 
gaged in  repacking  his  grip,  to  the  discomfiture  of 
the  half-dozen  other  agents  who  were  standing 
round  lamenting  their  fate,  the  deacon  beckoned 
him  to  the  rear,  handed  him  the  contract  duly 
signed,  and  said  :  '  Went  through  all  right,  eh,  and 
proves  that  when  the  President  of  Stormtown 
School  Board  makes  up  his  mind,  there  isn't  any 
power  under  heaven  that's  going  to  change  it. 
Now,  hurry  that  contract  off  by  the  first  mail: — and 
by  the  way,  young  man,  old  Grandmother  Green's 
been  having  more  peaceful  hours  over  "  Mother, 
Home  and  Heaven,"  than  she's  had  in  forty  years. 
She  seems  almost  to  grow  young  again  over  its 
many  beautiful  passages.  Now  there's  only  one 
other  work  necessary  to  reconcile  the  old  lady  to 
the  inevitable.  Ned  Pendegrist'  (placing  his  hand 
tenderly  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  young  agent), 
'there's  a  counterpart  to  "Mother,  Home  and 


"  Mother,  Home  and  Heaven*  83 

Heaven,''  and  if  the  pious  old  lady  could  but  lay 
her  failing  eyes  on  "  Clinging  to  the  Cross,"  her 
last  few  remaining  hours  would  certainly  be  peace- 
ful and  happy.  Ned  Pendegrist,  may  I  presume 
upon  your  generous ' — 

u  l  Deacon  Green/  retorted  Ned,  rising  to  the 
full  height  of  his  manhood,  as  he  departed  with 
grip  in  hand,  ( I  am  extremely  sorry  to  say,  that 
u  Clinging  to  the  Cross  "  is  out  of  print.'  " 


CHAPTER  VII. 

STEPHEN,   THE  GATE-KEEPER. 

LONG  before  the  morning  sun  had  cast  its  beams 
over  the  hillsides  and  valleys  of  beautiful  Emden, 
on  this  bountiful  Thanksgiving  morning,  an  aged 
father  had  arisen.  Bridled  and  in  waiting  in  front 
of  the  old  homestead  stood  his  faithful  mare,  Nelly, 
ready  to  convey  him  to  the  county  seat,  where  he 
had  an  important  mission  to  perform.  A  little 
later,  with  his  top-coat  buttoned  securely  around 
his  slender  form,  this  lonely  traveler  might  have 
been  seen  jogging  along  over  the  rough  Macadam 
roadway,  in  communion  with  his  own  thoughts. 
*  u  Twenty  miles  is  a  pretty  long  stretch  of  road," 
soliloquized  he,  as  he  caught  the  first  faint  outlines 
in  the  distance  of  the  long  pole  that  spanned  the 
ancient  highway.  "  But  what  is  distance  compared 
with  time,  and  sixty  years  at  that?  True,  the 
system  has  been  making  a  pretty  fair  showing 
since  sixty  years  ago — when  Simon,  driver  of 
Packet  Line  No.  10,  brought  the  startling  news 
that  the  Legislature  had  passed  the  free  school  bill. 
Don't  believe  there'll  be  a  soul  around  the  Court 
House  this  fine  Thanksgiving  morning  to  welcome 


Stephen  the  Gate -Keeper.  85 

an  old  educator.  There7 11  be  plenty  of  young  folks 
hanging  round,  true  enough,  but  there'll  be  no 
Cornelius  to  grasp  the  hand  of  the  old  man — 
blessed  schoolmaster  he  was  in  his  day  !  Yes,  yes, 
times  have  been  changing,  and  things  are  not  as 
they  were  when  Stephen,  the  gate-keeper,  and  I 
were  attending  school  together  away  back  in  the 
twenties.  Whoa,  Nell!  Going  to  cheat  Stephen 
out  of  his  honest  dues  this  fine  Thanksgiving 
morning?  Why,  we'll  both  be  arrested  for  violat- 
ing the  statutes,"  exclaimed  the  lonely  traveler,  as 
his  trusty  mare  struck  the  pole  squarely  in  the 
center. 

"  Hallo,  Steve,  my  venerable  friend !  Hurry 
'along  and  give  an  early  riser  the  right  o'  way. 
Come  now,  old  boy,  and  open  the  gate,  and  finish 
your  nap  at  high  noon,  when  the  constituents  are 
feasting  on  roast  goose  and  hard  cider ! " 

"  Hum  !  hum  !"  came  the  low  muttering  so  pecu- 
liar to  these  lonely  gate-keepers,  as  a  faint  glimmer 
from  his  lantern  appeared  through  the  crevice  of 
the  doorway.  "  A  pretty  time  'o  day  anyway  for  a 
stranger  to  be  loafing  along  the  king's  highway, 
trying  to  steal  his  way  through  without  paying  his 
honest  dues." 

A  moment  later  the  long,  slender  form  of 
Stephen  Smithers  stood  with  distended  eyes, 
swinging  the  lantern  over  his  head  and  peering  out 
at  an  indistinct  object  that  stood  before  him. 

"It's  the  old  mare,  'tis  for  a  fact!"  soliloquized 


\ 


Stephen  the  Gate- Keeper.  87 

Stephen.  "  Been  spirited  away  from  the  old  home- 
stead, sure  as  Steve's  a  living  man  !  Yes,  yes,  it 
isn't  the  first  critter  that's  left  his  master's  stable 
before  he'd  eaten  his  morning  oats,  and  it  isn't 
likely  to  be  the  last,  in  these  degenerate  days." 
Then,  in  a  commanding  tone  :  "  Guess  you'd  better 
dismount,  stranger,  and  make  the  next  twenty 
miles  on  foot  if  you're  aiming  for  the  county  seat — 
which  I'm  pretty  certain  you  aren't,  for  I've  never 
yet  seen  one  of  your  kind,  and  I've  seen  a  good 
many  in  my  day,  who  didn't  switch  off  at  the  first 
cross-road.  You're  not  the  first  that  I've  yanked 
up  before  the  light  o'  day,  reward  or  no  reward," 
said  Stephen,  as  he  grasped  the  old  nag  by  the 
bridle  with  a  vice-like  grip. 

"  Hold  on,  my  venerable  friend,"  came  a  voice 
that  sent  the  cold  shivers  down  the  spinal  column 
of  Stephen  Smithers. 

"Why  bless  my  eyes  if  it  isn't  Nicholas  Come- 
nius !  Why,  the  top  o'  the  morning  and  a  thousand 
apologies  to  you,  my  old-time  educator,"  came  the 
good-natured  reply,  as  Stephen  grasped  the  hand 
of  the  octogenarian.  "  Mighty  glad  to  meet  you", 
my  venerable  friend ;  the  old  gate-keeper's  as  good 
as  ever  on  a  grip,  but  his  eyesight's  been  failing  a 
good  deal  since  we  last  met." 

Then  he  muttered  to  himself,  with  a  shake  of  the 
head,  as  he  fumbled  over  a  handful  of  pennies  for 
the  exact  change:  "  There's  an  important  school 
meeting  holding  forth  somewhere  over  at  the 


88  Nicholas  Comenius. 

county  seat,  sure  as  Steve's  a  living  man.  Yes, 
yes,  something  more  powerful  than  roast  turkey 
and  cranberry  sauce  has  been  enticing  Nicholas 
Comenius  to  be  deserting  the  old  homestead  at 
such  an  hour  on  this  glorious  Thanksgiving  morn- 
ing.'' 

"  Pretty  stiff  breeze  blowing,"  said  Steve,  look- 
ing up  into  the  old  man's  face,  that  was  partly  con- 
cealed by  an  old-fashioned  three-ply  scarf  that  had 
protected  him  for  many  a  long  year  from  the  cold 
winter's  blasts.  uAny  one  over  along  Sassafras 
Ridge  or  at  Shaky  Hollow  getting  planted  or 
spliced  this  fine  morning?"  he  continued,  as  he 
threw  the  long  pole  into  a  perpendicular  position. 

"Well,  no,  vSteve,  my  faithful  watchman,  there 
isn't  any  one  getting  planted  or  spliced  that  I  can 
recall,"  came  the  laconic  reply.  "The  plain  un- 
varnished truth  is,  Stephen  my  boy,  it's  just  sixty 
years  ago  that  old  Governor  Wolf  disappointed 
more  than  nine-tenths  of  his  Dutch  constituents  by 
planting  his  signature  squarely  on  the  Common 
School  law.  After  thinking  the  matter  over,  it 
.occurred  to  me  to  take  a  run  over  to  the  county 
seat  and  take  a  peep  in  at  the  teachers'  institute. 
You  see,  the  old  folks  around  the  village  called  a 
meeting,  and  the  chairman  said  :  "  Nicholas  Come- 
nius, as  you're  the  one  man  in  the  whole  country 
round  whose  name  stands  first  on  the  list  among 
the  pioneers,  it  will  never  do  to  let  the  exercises  of 
the  young  educators  on  this  Thanksgiving  anni- 


Stephen  the  Gate-Keeper.  89 

versary  slip  by  without  your  being  present  to  tell 
them  a  fact  or  two  worth  knowing  about  the  olden 
times.' " 

uTrue  as  preaching,"  replied  Stephen;  uhope 
they'll  be  inviting  you  to  a  front  seat  on  the  judges' 
stand.  But  IVe  been  reading  the  papers,  Nicholas, 
and  it  strikes  me  there  isn't  anything  mentioned 
in  the  programme  about  any  Thanksgiving  anni- 
versary. You  see,  it's  been  a  rule  of  the  institute 
ever  since  you  were  voted  out  of  the  office,  to  have 
the .  programme  cut  and  dried  for  more  than  a 
month  before  the  time  for  setting  it  in  motion ;  and 
reminiscences  of  the  olden  time  aren't  likely  to  cut 
much  of  a  figure  these  days.  There's  one  pro- 
fessor, Nicholas,  to  lecture  on  philosophy  of  teach- 
ing; another  on  physiology — new-fangled  subjects, 
that  have  just  been  added  to  the  curriculum,  as 
they  call  it ;  another  on  deduction  and  induction — 
things  that  didn't  have  a  place  in  the  schools  when 
Nicholas  Comenius  was  running  the  machine,  or 
when  you  and  I  were  attending  school  as  boys 
over  in  the  little  red  sandstone  school-house." 

"  Steve,  old  boy,"  replied  the  aged  father,  as 
memory  carried  him  back  to  other  days,  u  those 
were  happy  times,  when  old  Jimmy  kept  the  vil- 
lage school,  and  went  boarding  around  among  the 
wild  lads  of  the  village.  Bless  me,  it  starts  the 
tears  flowing  when  I  think  of  the  days  when  you 
and  I  were  boys,  Stephen,  sitting  on  the  slab  seats 
by  the  old  wood  stove.  There's  a  history  about 


90  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  little  old  school-house  that's  never  been  written, 
but  as  you  say,  it  isn't  the  kind  of  history  the 
young  professors  are  looking  for  nowadays.  Come, 
my  pet,  hurry  along,  for  the  sun's  well-nigh  risen, 
and  your  old  bones  are  shaking  from  the  fresh 
morning  air.  Good  bye,  Stephen,  and  be  sur^  to 
keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  light-fingered  gentry, 
and  make  them  render  a  good  account  of  them- 
selves as  they  go  prowling  along  over  the  king's 
highway  before  the  break  of  day,"  was  the  parting 
salutation  of  Nicholas  Comenius,  as  he  galloped  on 
toward  the  county  seat,  twenty  miles  away,  leaving 
Stephen  standing  in  the  open  doorway  meditating. 
"  Sixty  years  ago!"  soliloquized  Stephen  Smith- 
ers.  "  Who  would  have  thought  it?  And  Nicholas 
Comenius  as  hale  and  hearty  as  on  the  first  day  he 
was  elected  Superintendent  of  Blackwell  county! 
In  those  days  no  man  did  greater  service,  and  no 
man  stood  higher  in  his  own  county,  than  young 
Nicholas  Comenius.  Yes,  yes,  young  Nicholas 
then,  old  Nicholas  now,"  was  the  gate-keeper's 
revery  as  he  followed  the  long  stretch  of  road,  to 
make  sure  that  his  old  friend  had  passed  safely  be- 
yond the  dangerous  hill  that  lay  before  him.  Pass- 
ing into  his  cabin  and  throwing  himself  on  his  low 
cot,  he  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  and  wept. 
What  thoughts  passed  through  the  mind  of  Stephen 
Smithers  the  world  may  never  know,  and  perhaps 
as  little  cares.  Let  it  be  here  said  that  the  gate- 
keeper was  possessed  of  more  than  average  Intel li- 


Stephen  the  Gate  Keeper.  91 

gence;  had  held  the  honorable  position  of  squire  as 
well  as  schoolmaster;  had  served  under  Zachary 
Taylor  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  for  thirty  years 
had  earned  his  bread  in  his  present  humble  posi- 
tion. But  woe  to  the  wild  lads  who  undertook  to 
play  their  pranks  upon  this  defender  of  the  king's 
highway  !  On  his  feet  he  was  as  swift  as  an  ante- 
lope, as  many  a  wayward  lad  had  discovered  to  his 
sorrow  in  attempting  to  evade  his  honest  dues. 
Without  hat,  coat  or  shoes,  Stephen  was  known  to 
keep  well  on  the  trail  of  the  swiftest  horse,  and, 
when  least  expected,  would  pounce  down  upon  his 
unsuspecting  victim,  demanding  what  in  justice  be- 
longed to  the  gate  known  by  his  name  as  u  Honest 
Stephen." 

The  sun  was  well  up  when  Stephen  awoke  from 
the  sweet  slumber  into  which  he  had  unconsciously 
fallen,  and,  going  to  the  door  that  led  to  the  loft 
above,  said :  "  Ted,  my  young  urchin,  it's  about 
time  for  you  to  be  stirring  yourself  this  fine 
Thanksgiving  morning.  Get  a  move  on,  my  spry 
young  chap,  and  see  that  Captain  Jack  gets  a  good 
square  meal,  for  there's  twenty  miles  twixt  the 
county-seat  and  the  sly  critter,  that  will  have  to  be 
covered  before  the  teachers'  meeting  ends  this  very 
noon." 

A  few  moments  later  little  Ted,  a  lad  of  nine, 
stood  face  to  face  with  his  aged  grandfather,  with 
whom  he  was  spending  his  Thanksgiving  vacation. 
Patting  the  little  fellow  on  the  head,  and  looking 


92  Nicholas  Comenius. 

down  into  his  large  blue  eyes,  he  exclaimed: 
u  Teddy,  my  boy,  it's  a  fine  man  you'll  be  making 
of  yourself  one  of  these  days  if  you  keep  growing 
as  you've  begun."  Then  raising  the  young  lad 
and  holding  him  at  arm's  length  on  the  palm  of  his 
large,  brawny  hand,  he  said:  "Teddy,  my  young 
hopeful,  there's  a  teachers'  meeting  over  at  the 
county-seat  this  very  Thanksgiving  day." 

"Knew  that  more  than  a  month  ago,  grandpa; 
yes,  more  than  two  months  ago;  for  if  there  hadn't 
been,  your  little  grandson  wouldn't  be  assisting 
you  in  collecting  toll  this  fine  Thanksgiving  day," 
came  the  quick  response. 

"A  mighty  knowing  lad,  my  precious  darling," 
retorted  the  old  gate-tender  as  he  clasped  the  lad 
to  his  bosom.  u  Ah,  ha,  I  see,  I  see !  These 
teachers'  meetings  have  their  uses,  if  they  do  have 
their  abuses.  Ha,  ha!  no  teachers'  meetings,  no 
vacation  for  the  young  chaps !  Bless  me,  it  takes 
a  growing  lad,  and  a  city  chap  at  that,  to  straighten 
out  an  old  man's  ideas,"  added  Stephen,  as  he  set 
to  whistling  one  of  his  old  familiar  airs.  Drawing 
the  little  fellow  beside  him  on  the  low  cot,  he 
stopped  whistling  long  enough  to  remark  : 

"  Master  Ted,  my  boy,  can  I  trust  you?" 

"Trust  me,  your  own  little  Teddy?  Why 
grandpa,  of  course  you  can  trust  me." 

"  You  see,  Teddy  my  lad,  there's  a  feeling  against 
these  city  chaps  coming  out  into  the  country  visit- 
ing. Too  much  schooling,  they  say,  isn't  helping 


Stephen  the  Gate- Keeper.  93 

their  manners  and  their  morals,  and  makes  them 
proud  and  ' stuck  up/  and  not  as  polite  and  accom- 
modating to  strangers  as  they  ought  to  be.  There's 
been  a  falling  off  in  good  manners,  Teddy,  among 
the  young  folks  since  I  was  a  lad.  See  it  every 
day,  right  here,  on  the  old  State  Road.  It's  been 
my  experience,  Teddy,  that  not  more  than  one  out 
of  a  hundred  ever  tips  his  hat  or  hails  the  old  gate- 
keeper with,  'It's  a  bright  spring  morning,'  or 
'  How  is  the  health  of  Stephen  Smithers  to-day  ?' 
No,  no,  it's  either  4  Hello  there,  old  man!'  or  a 
dozen  ill-mannered  expressions  that  aren't  a  credit 
to  the  fine  school  buildings  they're  having  over  at 
the  county  seat." 

u  Why,  grandpa,  you  talk  like  an  old  school- 
master. Did  you  ever  teach  school?" 

u  Yes,  yes,  but  'twas  many  years  ago,  when  old 
Nicholas  Comenius,  whom  you've  never  heard  of, 
my  little  grandson,  was  the  Superintendent.  In 
those  days  the  young  lads  didn't  know  so  much, 
but  it  was  hats  off  and  a  uGood  morning,  master,' 
when  they  entered  the  school.  But  Teddy,  my 
boy,  it's  to  the  county  seat  old  Stephen  must  go 
this  very  hour,  and  it's  to  your  charge  the  gate  is 
to  be  entrusted  during  this  Thanksgiving  day,  if  I 
can  trust  to  your  carefulness.  Teddy,  my  boy,  did 
you  ever  keep  books?" 

u  Keep  books,  grandpa?  Why  no,  I've  never 
kept  books,  but  I've  read  through  more  than  a 
hundred  over  at  the  Boys'  Library.'' 


94  Nicholas  Comenius* 

"  No,  Teddy,  I  mean  did  you  ever  keep  accounts 
in  a  book  or  on  a  slate?  " 

"Of  course  I  have,  grandpa.  Why,  my  slate 
and  scrap  book,  over  in  the  teacher's  desk,  are  all 
covered  over  with  figures ;  some  in  addition,  some 
in  subtraction,  others  in  multiplication  and  divi- 
sion, with  fractions  too." 

"  Come  now,  Ted,  what  are  you  giving  the  old 
man,  any  way  ?" 

u  True,  xgrandpa,  true  every  word.  And  besides, 
I've  been  studying  reading,  spelling,  grammar, 
composition  and  language,  geography,  history  and 
physiology.  Then  I've  been  taking  private  les- 
sons in  vocal  and  instrumental  music ;  practising 
in  the  gymnasium,  on  the  typewriter,  and  in  the 
military  drills." 

"  Why,  who'd  have  believed  it?"  replied 
Stephen,  with  a  doleful  shake  of  the  head.  "  It 
don't  seem  at  all  natural ;  for  when  Stephen  Smith- 
ers  was  attending  school  over  at  the  village  it  took 
a  whole  winter  to  learn  the  multiplication  table 
and  the  alphabet,  and  when  a  young  man  of  nine- 
teen struck  vulgar  fractions  he  was  away  up  at  the 
head  of  the  graduating  class.  There's  something 
mighty  queer  about  this  new  education  that's  puz- 
zling to  an  old  man's  brain !  Come  here,  my 
young  mathematician,"  continued  Stephen,  empty- 
ing a  bag  of  coin  into  the  lad's  hat.  "  Count  this, 
and  if  there  be  no  mistake  in  the  reckoning  its 
your  old  grandfather  that'll  have  use  for  your  ser- 
vices on  this  Thanksgiving  day." 


UNIVERSITY 
Stephen  the  Gate-Keeper.  95 

With  this,  the  lad's  first  practical  lesson  in  num- 
bers, Stephen  Smithers  took  his  way  to  the  door, 
looking  first  in  one  direction,  then  in  the  other,  for 
he  hadn't  taken  in  a  stray  copper  since  Nicholas 
Comenius  had  disturbed  his  early  slumbers. 

uHo!  grandpa,"  cried  little  Ted:  "  the  count  is 
completed,  with  a  big  lot  of  the  queerest  kind  of 
money  left  over  that  I  ever  laid  my  eyes  on.  It 
isn't  like  anything  the  city  folks  have,  grandpa. 
Why,  where  did  it  all  come  from  ? ' ' 

"  Ah  ha,  my  lad,"  chuckled  Stephen,  as  he  in- 
stinctively kept  his  eye  along  the  great  stretch  of 
road  that  lay  like  a  panorama  before  him.  "  It 
needs  a  sharp  eye  and  a  clear  conscience  to  be  an 
honest  gate-keeper.  You  see,  my  young  lad,  these 
spurious  coins  fell  into  the  till  in  a  way  you've 
never  dreamed  of." 

"  Weren't  given  then  by  honest  travelers,  were 
they,  grandpa?"  asked  the  little  fellow. 

"  Well,  no,  not  exactly  by  travelers,  but  by  some 
of  Stephen  Smithers'  honest  neighbors,  who 
wouldn't  think  of  robbing  Stephen  out  of  a  cent 
in  a  business  transaction.  You  see,  Teddy,  as  it 
may  be  a  lesson  for  you  in  morals,  I'll  give  you  an 
example  that  you  may  profit  by  in  the  future. 
Along  comes  honest  John  Smith,  who's  been 
attending  market  over  at  the  county  seat.  Now 
honest  John  discovers  on  his  way  home  that  he'd 
been  nipped  by  a  city  chap  with  a  pewter  or  Mex- 
ican dollar.  Says  he  to  his  good  wife  who  sits  by 


g6  Nicholas  Comenius. 

his  side :  '  Nancy,  it's  a  shame  to  stick  an  honest, 
hard-working  farmer,  who's  been  up  early  and  late, 
trying  to  make  an  honest  penny  tending  market.' 
So  he  fumbles  that  spurious  coin  over  and  over, 
saying  to  his  willing  helpmate  :  4 It's  the  profit  on 
a  barrel  of  apples,  or  a  basket  of  butter!  Guess 
we'll  stick  it  on  to  honest  Stephen.'  So  he  nudges 
the  old  lady  as  he  says:  'It's  a  fine  morning,  Mr. 
Smithers,'  or  it's  been  a  long  dry  or  a  long  wet 
spell;  or  'the  times  are  growing  so  hard  that  an 
honest  farmer  can't  make  a  living  any  more,'  and 
slips  the  spurious  coin  into  the  gate-keeper's  hand. 
But  when  Stephen  Smithers  makes  the  discovery, 
Teddy,  as  he  sometimes  does,  if  not  too  dark,  and 
turns  and  says:  'This  stuff's  no  good;  only  so 
much  base  metal  that  isn't  worth  more  than  a 
nickel  a  pound, '  the  old  gentleman  reaches  for  it, 
adjusts  his  spectacles,  looks  it  over  and  over,  then 
hands  it  to  Nancy,  and  she  holds  it  up  likewise, 
turns  it  round  and  round,  and  with  a  knowing 
shake  of  the  head  says :  l  What's  the  country  com- 
ing to,  any  way,  Stephen  Smithers,  when  these  vile 
city  hypocrites  set  to  robbing  an  honest  farmer  out 
of  the  profit  of  a  whole  day's  marketing?  " 

"But  grandpa,"  asked  little  Ted,  "were  all  those 
queer-looking  pieces  given  you  by  such  people?" 

"Oh,  yes,  my  inquisitive  pupil,  they're  all  my 
best  neighbors,  whom  I  have  known  for  many 
years,"  was  the  old  gate-keeper's  reply,  as  he 
caught  sight  of  Captain  Jack  standing  without, 


Stephen  the  Gate  Keeper.  97 

ready  to  convey  him  to  the  county  seat.  Once 
more  the  old  gate-keeper  drew  the  lad  to  his  side; 
this  time  as  he  sat  astride  of  Captain  Jack,  the 
trusty  roadster  that  had  been  presented  to  him 
when  a  mere  colt,  as  a  token  of  friendship  and 
esteem,  by  his  Board  of  Directors — -and  once  more 
he  embraced  the  lad,  printed  a  kiss  upon  his  fore- 
head and  said : 

"  Teddy,  my  boy,  keep  a  smile  on  your  face  and 
a  kind  word  on  your  lips  for  the  stranger,  be  he  the 
judge  of  the  court  or  the  lowly  in  station.  Be  sure, 
first,  to  render  the  exact  change  to  the  outside 
penny  ;  then  pull  the  long  rope,  and  the  lifting  of 
the  pole  will  give  to  every  honest  man  the  right  o' 
way  over  the  king's  highway." 

With  this  wholesome  advice,  Stephen  Smithers, 
the  rough  diamond,  beloved  for  his  simple  man- 
ners, esteemed  for  his  sterling  integrity,  took  his 
way  westward,  but  for  what  purpose  he  alone 
knew. 
7 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  SCHOOL-HOUSE  AND  THE  OAK — THE  SMITH 

SHOP — OLD   BLIND   TOM. 

As  Nicholas  Comenius  passed  safely  beyond  the 
dangerous  cliff,  known  at  an  earlier  day  as  the 
u  Round  Up,n  his  thoughts  naturally  wandered 
back  to  his  boyhood  days,  and  thence  to  the  scenes 
of  his  later  struggles,  when  he  was  the  most  im- 
portant factor  in  the  educational  councils.  Now 
he  was  to  all  intents  and  purposes  as  dead  to  the 
outer  world  as  though  he  had  never  had  an  exist- 
ence. What  had  impelled  him,  at  such  an  ad- 
vanced age,  and  at  such  an  unseemly  hour,  to 
wander  forth  from  the  old  homestead  on  an  errand 
for  which  the  world  little  cared  ?  Was  he  simply 
dreaming  his  life  over  again  ?  Was  his  mission 
but  an  hallucination  of  the  mind,  enfeebled  by  de- 
clining old  age?  These  were  the  thoughts  upper- 
most in  the  minds  of  the  few  who  had  recognized 
Nicholas,  as  he  jogged  along  on  his  gray  mare, 
that  had  reached  an  age  relatively  as  great  as  his 
own. 

What  had  induced  Stephen  to  entrust  the  gate 
known  as  u  Honest  Stephen  "  to  Teddy,  a  lad  of 
98 


The  School/iouse  and  the  Oak.  99 

nine,  while  he  went  galloping  on  toward  the 
county-seat?  Was  he  also  impressed  with  the  con- 
viction that  perhaps  a  change  in  the  mental  condi- 
tion of  Nicholas  Comenius  had  actually  taken 
place?  Indeed,  there  was  room  for  well-grounded 
belief  that  Nicholas  had  simply  strayed  away  from 
the  old  homestead,  under  the  delusion  that  he  was 
still  in  charge  of  the  institute  that  was  in  active 
operation  on  this  Thanksgiving  morning. 

But  if  Nicholas  Comenius  was  dead,  so  to  speak, 
to  the  outer  world,  in  his  inner  life,  around  which 
clustered  the  reminiscences  of  a  sweet  and  fragrant 
memory,  he  was  an  active,  living  personality. 
There,  within  the  limits  of  his  own  pleasant  home, 
he  had  retired  years  before  from  active  life,  and 
the  cares  that  so  often  follow  in  its  train.  But 
Nicholas  never  grew  old,  in  the  ordinary  accepta- 
tion of  the  term.  His  genial  disposition,  kind  and 
loving  nature,  and  the  love  he  bore  the  old  town, 
with  its  traditions  extending  back  over  two  cen- 
turies, were  a  panacea  for  all  the  ills  and  shortcom- 
ings consequent  to  frail  human  nature.  Nicholas 
firmly  believed  'in  the  preservation  of  at  least  the 
inspiration  surrounding  many  of  the  traditionary 
landmarks  that  still  lingered  among  the  new  con- 
ditions that  time  and  an  enlightened  public  senti- 
ment had  so  marvelously  wrought-  If  others, 
younger  in  years,  contemplated  the  destruction  of 
the  little  red  sandstone  school-house,  and  the 
cherished  oak  under  which  it  had  stood  for  so 


IOO  Nicholas  Comenius. 

many  long  years,  Nicholas  would  exclaim,  with  a 
shake  of  the  head: 

"  Yes,  yes,  the  hillsides  and  valleys,  the  meadows 
and  water-courses,  may  have  their  charms  for 
others;  but  to  the  heart  of  Nicholas  Comenius  this 
giant  of  the  forest  conveys  a  lesson  full  of  mean- 
ing. "  Looking  upward  among  its  branches  he'd 
add:  uWas  it  not  here,  around  its  huge  trunk, 
that  the  boys  and  girls  formed  a  circle,  taking  each 
other  by  the  hand,  as  Lafayette,  that  noble  French 
patriot,  on  his  triumphal  march  through  the  land, 
away  back  in  the  early  thirties,  consecrated  the 
very  ground  upon  which  we  are  now  standing  to 
the  cause  of  religious  liberty?  Has  the  old  man 
forgotten,"  he  would  appealingly  say,  "that  stir- 
ring event  and  the  parting  words  of  the  hero  of 
many  a  hard-fought  battle,  as  he  gave  one  and  all 
a  fervent  good-bye,  and  a  'God  bless  the  school,' 
ending  with:  l  Boys,  have  respect  for  the  master, 
love  and  honor  him,  and  guard  the  old  tree;  care 
for  and  protect  it  in  the  years  to  come,  as  it  now 
protects  the  old  school-house,  the  master  and  his 
little  flock  ?'  What  a  beautiful  lesson  of  admoni- 
tion," Nicholas  would  conclude,  as  the  young 
officials  stood  by  the  old  tree,  with  axe  and  saw  in 
hand,  "and  how  appropriate  to  the  authorities  of 
every  school-fiouse  in  the  land !" 

"Ami  were  the  words  of  the  patriot  heeded  in 
after  years?"  comes  the  suggestive  question  from  a 
score  or  more  young  teachers.  My  young  friends, 


The  Schoolhouse  and  the  Oak.          101 

the  words  so  often  uttered  in  defense  of  some  old 
landmark  have  not  been  without  result;  for  Emden 
is  known  far  and  wide  for  its  stately  and  majestic 
trees.  And  beyond  the  town,  on  the  sites  where 
the  old  school-houses  once  stood,  but  where  the  new 
ones  now  stand,  and  towering  upward  as  a  protec- 
tion to  each,  you  will  find  a  stately  oak;  young  in 
years,  it  is  true,  and  only  a  sapling  compared  with 
the  parent  tree,  but  in  coming  years,  as  other  boys 
and  girls  sit  beneath  its  shadow,  it  too  will  equal 
in  size  the  giants  of  the  forest.  Take  the  lesson 
with  you,  my  young  friends,  to  the  beautiful 
valleys  and  fertile  fields  where  the  blessings  of  the 
new  system  have  been  most  largely  felt,  and  where 
oak  and  hickory,  elm  and  birch,  were  once  the 
pride  and  glory  of  man.  There,  on  the  sloping 
hillside,  or  in  the  valley  below,  stands  perchance 
your  own  temple  of  learning,  perfect  in  architec- 
tural design  and  equipped  with  all  the  latest 
school-room  appliances,  but  as  desolate  without  as 
the  sands  of  the  desert.  No  tree,  no  shrubbery,  as 
a  protection  against  the  rays  of  the  summer  sun- 
shine or  the  blasts  of  the  fierce  gales  of  winter. 
Why  should  this  ever  be  so?  Why  should  not 
each  school  in  the  land  lay  claim  to  some  cherished 
oak,  and  once  a  year  meet  with  appropriate  exer- 
cises beneath  its  overhanging  branches?  And,  be- 
fore the  first  signs  of  decay  set  in,  why  should  not 
some  lad,  following  the  example  of  Nicholas  Co- 
menius  of  sixty  years  ago,  plant  an  acorn  close  by 


IO2  Nicholas  Comenius.     , 

the  parent  tree,  and  thenceforth  care  for  and  watch 
its  growth,  from  early  boyhood  to  manhood,  and 
thence  into  declining  old  age  ? 

Nicholas  Comenius  may  have  been  a  back  num- 
ber in  the  eyes  of  many  of  his  illustrious  successors, 
the  modern  educators,  but  he  was  a  firm  believer 
in  the  beautiful  sentiment  that  uhe  who  makes 
two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  only  one  grew  be- 
fore is  a  public  benefactor.''  And  as  he  saved  the 
old  oak  from  the  woodman's  axe,  Nicholas  also 
protected  the  little  red  sandstone  school-house. 
"  Yes,"  he'd  say,  when  it  was  proposed  to  demol- 
ish the  old  structure,  u  there  isn't  much  left  of  the 
old  house,  boys;  it's  like  the  old  man  himself,  only 
a  relic  of  former  days  and  unfit  for  use;  but  it's  the 
only  friend  and  companion  that's  left  me.  It  isn't 
at  all  handsome  in  the  eyes  of  the  lad  who  keeps 
school  in  the  new  house  over  there;  but  it  suited 
me  and  the  other  boys,  and  Jimmy  the  master,  and 
I'll  see  no  harm  come  to  it  now." 

Is  it  at  all  surprising,  then,  that  on  the  day  pre- 
ceding this  lovely  Thanksgiving  morning,  Nicholas 
had  resolved  to  re-visit  the  scenes  of  his  early  boy- 
hood days?  From  this  long-deserted  structure  and 
its  surroundings  had  come  an  inspiration  that  took 
possession  of  his  very  nature.  For  a  moment  he 
stood  beneath  the  now  lifeless  branches  of  the  ven- 
erable oak,  where  he  had  stood  so  many  times  be- 
fore; then  he  passed  along  the  old  pathway,  once 
SO  familiar  to  other  footsteps  but  now  overgrown 


The  Schoolhouse  and  the  Oak.  1 03 

with  gray,  coarse  weeds  and  brambles,  and  reached 
the  door  of  the  old  house  with  its  rusty,  creaking 
hinges.  There,  upon  an  old  desk,  shattered  and 
time-worn,  he  beheld  the  inscription,  the  work  of 
his  own  handicraft,  u  Nicholas  Comenius,  1834," 
and  a  few  paces  beyond,  the  old  jack-knife,  rusty 
and  broken.  Ah,  what  fond  recollections  of  by- 
gone days  crowded  themselves  one  upon  the  other, 
as  Nicholas  bent  over  the  frail  slab  desk  to  make 
sure  that  his  failing  eye-sight  had  not  deceived 
him,  There,  true  enough,  were  the  letters  en- 
graven deep  into  the  hard,  yellow  pine  slab,  and 
there  the  one-bladed  knife,  with  its  rough  bone 
sides  still  intact.  Then,  like  the  shifting  scenes 
of  a  panorama,  the  recollections  of  a  lifetime  passed 
before  the  mind  of  Nicholas  Comenius. 

u  Yes,  yes,"  soliloquized  Nicholas,  as  he  rode 
onward,  "I  recall  the  occasion  as  if  it  were  but 
yesterday.  We  were  all  sitting  about  on  the  long 
slab  seats,  I  a  lad  and  Jimmy  a  young  stripling  of  a 
master,  when  old  Simon,  the  driver  of  Mail  Coach 
No.  10,  rapped  at  the  door  and  in  a  loud  voice  ex- 
claimed, ' Jimmy,  my  man,  have  you  heard  the 
latest  news,  that  I'm  after  breaking  to  you  !n 
4 And  what  sort  of  news?  good,  bad  or  indifferent, 
my  good  man?'  was  Jimmy's  rejoinder.  'Well, 
Jimmy,'  came  the  doleful  reply,  4  it  may  be  good 
news  for  some,  but  it's  mighty  discouraging  to  the 
old  schoolmasters — 'tis  for  a  fact.  It's  the  Legis- 
lature that's  passed  the  free  school  bill,  and  it's  the 


IO4  Nicholas  Comenius. 

little  Dutch  Governor  that's  inscribed  his  signature 
to  the  infernal  State  System,  sure  as  you're  a  living 
master!'  was  Simon's  quick  rejoinder,  as  he  landed 
upon  the  high  seat  of  the  old  coach. 

"  Little  thought  I  at  the  time,"  reflected  the  old 
father,  "of  the  effect  the  act  thus  announced  was 
ultimately  to  have  on  hundreds  of  old  school- 
masters throughout  the  Commonwealth.  But  times 
have  changed,  and  for  the  better  I  hope." 

For  the  early  morning  hours  of  this  charming 
Thanksgiving  brought  no  despondency  to  Nicholas. 
To  one  of  his  genial  nature,  the  crisp  morning 
atmosphere  was  a  tonic,  giving  renewed  vigor  to 
his  rugged  manhood.  To  this  well  known  thor- 
oughfare Nicholas  was  no  stranger,  as  many  a  lone 
monarch  of  the  forest,  still  standing  in  all  its 
primitive  glory,  stood  ready  to  testify.  Here  and 
there,  before  some  familiar  landmark,  his  trusty 
mare  would  halt,  sniffing  the  air,  before  Nicholas 
could  recover  from  the  reverie  into  which  he  had 
fallen.  At  length,  suddenly  looking  up  and  catch- 
ing a  glimpse  of  the  object  which  had  last  attracted 
his  faithful  roadster's  attention,  he  leaned  forward, 
patted  her  gently  on  the  mane  and  exclaimed: 

u  Taking  a  view  of  the  old  school-house  and 
thinking  of  old  Tommy,  the  master,  whom  you 
haven't  seen  for  more  than  twenty  years,  eh,  my 
knowing  critter?  Ah,  you've  a  memory,  my 
worthy  steed,  that  discounts  the  old  man's  two  to 
one;  and  if  you  were  as  well  gifted  in  the  power  of 


The  Smith-Shop.  105 

language  as  you  are  in  remembering  all  the  old 
school-houses  in  Blackwell  county,  you  could  give 
the  young  chaps  over  at  the  institute  a  lesson  that 
they've  never  dreamed  of. 

uYes,  yes,  Nell,  you've  good  reason  to  remem- 
ber Old  Blind  Tom,  for  many  an  extra  meal  he 
turned  into  your  crib  on  the  sly  !  But  don't  you 
know,  pet,  that  the  old  schoolmaster  has  long 
since  passed  over  the  river  of  time,  to  keep  com- 
pany with  Cornelius,  and  the  hundreds  of  others 
who  were  as  prompt  in  providing  for  the  wants  of 
Nicholas  and  the  mare  as  they  were  in  caring  for 
the  young  lads  of  the  school  ?  Come,  come, 
straighten  up,  stop  your  whinnying,  and  hurry 
along;  no  use  shedding  tears  over  Old  Blind  Tom, 
who's  dead  and  gone  these  many  years. 

"But  there's  no  use  trying  to  forget  him, 
either,"  sighed  Nicholas,  as  his  eyes  took  in  a 
small  enclosure  by  the  wayside,  surrounded  by  a 
square  stone  wall  and  a  cluster  of  cedars.  "  There 
we  laid  him  long  years  ago,  and  over  there  beside 
the  old  smith-shop  stands  the  low  thatched  cottage 
with  the  great  oak  towering  over  it,  as  young  and 
green  as  on  the  day  we  laid  the  old  schoolmaster 
to  rest  under  the  cedar  in  this  little  family  burying 
ground.  Yes  it  seems  but  yesterday,  but  'twas 
many  years  ago  that  Comenius  was  summoned  to 
the  bedside  of  Old  Blind  Tom,  as  the  wild  lads 
around  the  district  school  named  him  in  later 
years.  'Twas  a  sad  scene  and  well  nigh  forgotten, 


106  Nicholas  Comenius. 

but  Nell,  the  companion  of  my  earlier  days,  has 
brought  it  all  back  again. "  As  these  sad  recollec- 
tions throbbed  through  the  mind  of  Comenius,  he 
was  startled  by  a  voice  that  came  from  the  rickety 
smith-shop. 

uLost  your  way,  stranger,  or  perhaps  only  a 
shoe  from  the  old  mare?  About  the  loss  of  your 
way,  I'm  not  so  certain;  but  that  there's  a  missing 
shoe  from  the  right  front  foot  of  the  old  nag,  I  am 
as  sure  as  that  it's  Thanksgiving  morning,  and  a 
mighty  fine  one  at  that.  You  see,  my  friend,  a 
traveler  may  occasionally  lose  his  way  or  his  wits, 
or  perchance  forget  to  pay  old  Stephen  Smithers 
his  honest  dues;  but  it  will  never  do  for  a  horse  to 
lose  a  shoe,  with  Tommy,  the  blacksmith,  doing 
business  at  the  old  stand." 

"Whoa,  Nell,"  cried  Nicholas,  as  he  drew  the 
reins  on  his  trusty  mare.  Then  casting  his  eyes  in 
the  direction  from  which  the  sound  came,  he  be- 
held above  the  door  the  sign,  "Tom,  the  Smith;" 
and  leaning  against  a  post,  a  heavy-set  individual 
with  a  happy  smile  upon  his  good-natured  counte- 
nance. 

u  Ride  the  old  critter  in  under  the  roof  of  the 
old  shop,  my  good  man,  and  I  will  make  an  ex- 
amination in  short  order;  for  it'll  hardly  do  to 
openly  violate  the  law,  when  the  Governor's  Proc- 
lamation calls  for  a  strict  observance  of  Thanks- 
giving by  every  loyal  son  of  the  Commonwealth." 

It  took  but  3  moment  to  remove  the  fractured 


The  Smith-Shop.  107 

parts  of  the  old  shoe,  and  as  the  jolly  smith  forged 
away  at  the  new  one  to  the  sound  of  the  anvil's 
ring,  he  merrily  sang:  uThe  Life  of  a  Smith  is 
the  Life  for  Me.n  As  Nicholas  stood  by  and  ob- 
served in  astonishment  the  strength  of  his  large 


and  sinewy  hands  and  the  muscles  of  his  brawny 
arms,  coupled  with  a  happy  smile  and  a  pleasant 
disposition,  he  remarked:  u  Truly  a  happy  life 
you're  leading,  my  good  man  !n 


io8  Nicholas  Comenius. 

uOh,  yes,"  came  the  good-natured  reply,  "it's 
the  master  who  shapes  the  mind,  and  the  smith 
who  shapes  the  iron  ;  the  only  difference  being  the 
kind  of  material  at  their  disposal.  You  see,"  he 
musingly  said,  as'he  forged  away,  giving  the  shoe 
a  delicate  touch  here  and  there,  and  then  holding 
it  first  in  one  direction  and  then  in  another  before 
his  trained  eye,  "it  was  always  a  question  with 
grandfather,  or  cOld  Blind  Tom,'  as  the  boys 
around  the  district  school  used  to  call  him, 
whether  his  little  namesake  should  be  a  school- 
master or  a  blacksmith.  It  was  old  Tommy,  who 
kept  school  in  the  little  stone  house  when  Nicholas 
Comenius  was  in  command  of  the  school  affairs  of 
the  county,  that  settled  young  Tom's  fate  ;  and  it 
all  came  about  in  a  way  that  some  people  call 
superstitious.  It  was  on  the  day  before  his  last 
visit  to  the  school,  from  which  he  never  returned 
alive,  that  he  took  me  on  his  knee  out  on  the  old 
porch,  as  was  his  custom,  keeping  time  with  his 
frail  staff  to  the  music  of  the  birds  over  in  the 
flowery  meadow  by  the  running  brook.  'Torn,' 
said  he  (for  he  always  called  me  Tom),  4  it's  the 
master  who  shapes  the  mind,  and  the  smith  who 
shapes  the  iron.  It  takes  a  heavy  stroke  and  a 
strong  arm  at  times,  Tom,  to  wield  the  rod  as  well 
as  the  sledge ;  but  there's  this  difference,  Tom,  my 
lad — the  strokes  that  fall  from  the  brawny  arm  of 
the  smith  are  lost  with  the  ring  of  the  anvil,  but 
those  that  fall  from  the  master's  arm,  necessary  at 


Old  Blind  Tom.  109 

times  to  shape  aright  the  young  mind,  are  apt  after 
long  years  to  come  knocking  at  the  silent  chamber 
of  the  master's  heart.  And  oh,  Tom,  my  lad,  they 
carry  a  weight  heavier  than  the  heaviest  sledge 
ever  wielded  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  village 
smith/ 

"  But  the  saddest  part  of  my  story  is  yet  to  be 
told,  and  there's  no  better  time  to  tell  it  than  this 
bright  Thanksgiving  morning,"  continued  young 
Tom,  as  he  leaned  his  heavy  form  against  the 
patient  mare,  driving  nail  after  nail  with  the  un- 
erring aim  of  a  trained  workman.  "  It  was  on  the 
day  following  the  one  that  decided  the  fate  of 
young  Tom,  as  I  well  remember.  There,  sur- 
rounded by  a  half  dozen  grandchildren  and  Nicho- 
las Comenins,  the  beloved  apostle  of  the  free  school 
system,  sat  old  Tommy,  blind  and  tottering,  as  the 
little  ones  gathered  around  him  not  knowing  what 
to  do  or  say. 

"  Ah,  my  old  friend,  is  it  the  crisp  morning  air 
or  the  effect  of  my  story  that  causes  the  tears  to 
flow?"  said  Tom,  as  he  turned  and  glanced  at  his 
visitor.  u  It's  had  the  same  effect  on  Tommy  the 
smith,  many,  many  times  as  I've  thought  it  over; 
but  then  the  sound  of  the  anvil  always  drove  it 
away,  as  it  has  many  other  strange  thoughts  that 
came  creeping  over  Tommy  in  the  little  smith-shop 
during  the  long  winter  days. 

"It  is  true  I  was  only  a  lad  at  the  time,  but  I 
well  remember  when  Old  Blind  Tom  turned  to 


1  i  O  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Nicholas  and  touchingly  said :  *  Take  me  once 
more,  my  old  friend,  to  the  district  school,  where 
old  associations  yet  linger,  and  thence  to  the  little 
burying  ground,  and  there  let  the  discarded  school- 
master rest  in  peace.'  In  vain  did  those  around 
him  endeavor  to  dispel  the  strange  fancy  that 
had  so  suddenly  taken  possession  of  his  mind,  but 
his  only  reply  was,  'Take  me  once  more  to  the 
old  school-house.'  The  saddest  moment  of  all 
came  after  every  other  effort  had  failed  to  restore 
the  old  father  to  consciousness.  It  was  then  that 
sister  Elsie,  his  blue-eyed  darling,  whose  golden 
ringlets  he  had  so  often  caressed,  stepped  forward 
and  placing  her  delicate  arms  gently  around  his 
neck,  in  a  soft  child-like  voice  whispered:  'Why, 
grandpa,  have  you  forgotten  your  own  little  grand- 
daughter Elsie?  Touch  my  hair,  grandpa,  and 
press  your  cold  face  to  mine.  Ah,  you  know  Elsie, 
do  you  not,  grandpa?'  But  with  a  wave  of  the 
hand  he  motioned  her  aside." 

For  a  moment  a  death-like  stillness  prevaded  the 
old  smith  shop.  Then  there  came  a  voice  in  low 
and  measured  tones,  not  unlike  the  soft  voice  of 
Old  Blind  Tom.  It  was  the  voice  of  the  stranger 
who  stood  by  the  side  of  young  Tom,  the  smith. 
"  And  have  you,  Tommy,  forgotten  Nicholas 
Comenius?" 

u  Nicholas — Nicholas  !  "  And  with  these  words 
the  stalwart  frame  of  the  young  smith  swayed  to 
and  fro.  u  Nicholas  Comenius,  the  bo;som  friend 


Old  Blind  Tom.  1 1  i 

of  Old  Blind  Tom  !"  And  with  these  words  he 
turned  and  fell  upon  the  old  man's  neck  and  wept. 

"  Ah,  Tom,  many,  many  times  have  I  recalled 
this  incident  in  my  lonely  pilgrimages  through 
Blackwell  county, n  said  Nicholas,  as  they  sat  side 
by  side  on  a  low  trestle — Nicholas,  the  tall,  vener- 
able educator;  Tom,  the  young  blacksmith,  with 
muscles  and  sinews  of  iron.  u  Little  thought  I, 
Tommy,  my  boy,  as  long  years  ago  I  sat  beside  Old 
Blind  Tom  on  that  momentous  occasion,  that  years 
later . I  should  meet  this  same  lad,  now  a  full  grown 
man.  But  'tis  only  one  of  the  many  sad  reminis- 
cences that  Nelly,  my  mare,  occasionally  awakens 
within  me  as  I  go  strolling  along  the  king's  high- 
way. 

uYes,  Tommy,  I  well  remember  the  day  when 
Old  Blind  Tom  passed  away  to  his  rest.  It  was 
late  in  the  day,  Tommy,  one  of  those  perfect 
October  days  that  always  brought  sweet  conso- 
lation to  the  old  master's  heart,  when  tender 
hands  gently  raised  the  dying  veteran  from  his 
lowly  couch,  made  their  way  through  the  narrow 
open  doorway,  thence  to  the  district  school,  where 
they  tenderly  placed  him  in  the  old  arm-chair. 
Not  a  sound  could  be  heard,  Tom,  but  the  neigh- 
ing of  Nelly,  who  stood  by  the  road-side,  appar- 
ently conscious  of  all  that  was  taking  place  within. 
There  in  the  old  chair  he  sat  for  a  moment,  oblivi- 
ous of  those  who  stood  tearfully  by  his  side.  Then 
standing  erect  as  in  the  strength  of  his  earlier 


112 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


manhood,  he  turned  his  head  from  side  to  side  and 
gave  the  word  of  command:  '  Give  the  bell  rope  a 
good  jerk,  Ned,  my  trusty  standby.'  And  as  the 
old  familiar  sound  of  years  gone  by  broke  upon  his 
ear,  he  turned,  and  with  a  grim  smile  playing 
upon  his  pallid  features,  exclaimed:  '  Now  I  know 
I  am  once  more  the  master  of  the  old  school,  for  I 
hear  the  sound  of  the  bell  in  the  belfry  above.' 


BUND  TOM'S  SCHOOI,  HOUSE. 

Oh,  Tom,  it  was  I,  Nicholas  Comenius,  that  held 
you  in  my  arms  as  Old  Blind  Tom,  the  venerated 
schoolmaster,  fell  back  in  the  old  arm-chair  and 
peacefully  died,  under  the  firm  belief  that  he  was 
still  the  master  of  the  district  school.  We  shall 


Old  Blind  Tom.  1 1 3 

never  hear  the  bell  again,  Tommy;  I  passed  the  old 
school  to-day,  and  the  belfry  is  gone,  like  the  old 
master. n 

Then  Nicholas  whispered  a  few  cheering  words 
to  Tommy  the  smith,  jumped  astride  of  Nell,  and 
hurried  onward  toward  the  metropolis  of  Blackwell 
county. 
8 


CHAPTER  IX. 

SIMON,  THE  DRIVER  OF  PACKET  LINE   MAIL  COACH 
NO.    10. 

As  Comenius,  now  so  full  of  ardent  devotion  to 
the  scenes  and  recollections  of  his  boyhood  days — 
a  devotion  that  clings  to  the  soul  of  the  aged 
patriarch  like  the  ivy  to  the  massive  oak — con- 
tinued his  early  morning's  journey  along  the  king's 
highway,  his  thoughts  instinctively  reverted  to  that 
historic  day,  sixty  years  before,  when  Simon,  driver 
of  Packet  Line  Mail  Coach  No.  10,  drove  his  gal- 
lant steeds  six  in  hand  into  the  very  heart  of  Emden 
town,  There  may  seem  little  of  more  than  passing 
interest,  dear  reader,  in  this  announcement;  but 
were  a  messenger  direct  from  the  halls  of  legisla- 
tion to  convey  to  a  modern  teachers'  convention 
the  information  of  the  repeal  of  the  common  school 
law,  the  tumult  could  scarcely  equal  that  which 
fell  with  such  crushing  force  on  the  constituency 
of  Emden  when  Simon  landed  his  six-in-hand  at 
the  very  door  of  the  little  red  sandstone  school- 
house.  Swinging  his  long  raw-hide  in  a  graceful 
circle  through  the  air,  and  uttering  an  unearthly 
yell  between  the  trumpet  blasts  that  had  already 
114 


Simon  the  Driver.  1 1 5 

startled  the  rural  population  from  their  peaceful 
surroundings,  in  thundering  tones  came  the  news 
that,  within  a  brief  period  thereafter,  was  to  prove 
such  a  disturbing  factor  to  many  a  household  in 
Blackwell  county. 

"It  is  true,  I  was  but  a  lad,n  mused  Nicholas, 
as  he  gave  Nell  an  extra  spur,  "when  Simon  drove 
up  to  the  school-house  door,  threw  the  whole  school 
into  commotion,  and  set  the  master's  head  to  buzz- 
ing like  an  old-fashioned  spinning  wheel ;  but  I've 
never  forgotten  the  most  trusty  driver  that  ever 
sent  a  mail  coach  flying  over  the  king's  highway  at 
the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour.  Illiterate  as  he 
was  from  an  educational  standpoint,  Simon  was 
none  the  less  an  educator  worthy  of  more  than 
passing  notice;  and  bore  the  same  relation  to  the 
public,  as  a  dispenser  of  general  information,  that 
Jimmy  bore  to  the  village  school.  In  stature  and 
in  courage,  he  was  as  far  above  the  average  coach- 
man of  his  day  as  in  trustworthiness  and  general 
intelligence.  His  long,  dull-bronze  hair,  which 
hung  in  strands  over  his  broad  shoulders,  and  his 
small  round  hazel  eyes,  which  shone  at  times  like 
miniature  stars,  gave  to  his  round,  red  face  an  ex- 
pression that  once  seen  was  ever  to  be  remembered. 
Indeed,  it  was  firmly  believed  by  many  of  the 
gentry  who  sat  behind  this  knight  of  the  road  on 
more  than  one  of  his  lonely  pilgrimages,  that 
through  his  wide  receding  nostrils  he  could  scent 
coming  danger  for  miles  distant.  But  if  nature 


1 1 6  Nicholas  Comenius. 

favored  Simon  in  this  particular  above  others  of  his 
class,  he  was  even  more  generously  blessed  with  a 
sonorous,  well-rounded  voice,  and  an  atmospheric 
pressure  behind  it  that  in  times  of  extreme  danger 
sent  a  thrill  of  terror  through  his  trumpet,  and  then 
4  one  blast  upon  his  bugle  horn  was  worth  a  thou- 
sand men.'  Many  indeed  were  the  mishaps  that 
had  befallen  more  than  one  of  the  many  trusty 
coachmen  of  the  government  service  in  passing 
over  that  dangerous  stretch  of  road  known  as  the 
4  Round  Up ;'  but  while  Simon  had  his  share  of  ex- 
periences at  the  hands  of  numerous  bands  of  high- 
waymen, he  never  failed  to  deliver  his  precious 
freight  in  safety  at  their  point  of  destination. 

"But  above  all,  to  the  sound  of  Simon's  bugle, 
on  momentous  occasions,  there  was  attached  a 
superstitious  significance  that  no  convincing  proof 
to  the  contrary  could  dispel.  When  the  melodious 
tones  of  his  horn  fell  like  the  strains  of  an  aeolian 
harp  on  the  ears  of  the  good  housewives,  as  he 
swept  onward  along  the  roadway,  it  was  but  a 
gentle  reminder  that  peace  and  good-will  reigned 
supreme  over  the  inhabitants  of  Blackwell  county. 
But  when  a  long  series  of  those  unearthly  blasts, 
to  which  the  screechings  of  a  locomotive  whistle  in 
moments  of  greatest  danger  bear  no  comparison, 
fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  rural  population  in  the 
quietude  of  their  home  life,  it  was  positive  evidence 
that  Simon  had  come  into  possession  of  news  that 
was  to  affect,  in  some  way,  their  cherished  rights. 


Simon  the  Driver.  117 

"  As  the  intelligent  yeomanry  of  Blackwell 
county,  in  this  enlightened  age,  pin  their  faith 
largely  to  the  newspaper  and  the  magazine,  to  the 
telegraph,  the  telephone  and  the  weather  bureau, 
so  their  worthy  ancestors  of  two  generations  ago 
reposed  even  greater  confidence  in  the  bugle  blasts 
of  Simon,  driver  of  Packet  Line  Mail  Coach  No. 
10.  On  this  occasion  Simon,  after  leaving  the 
village  school,  yanked  his  six  in  hand  up  to  the 
very  door  of  the  rickety  post-office  building,  fol- 
lowed by  Jimmy  McCune,  the  master,  and  the  lads 
of  the  school.  A  moment  later  the  old  stage-coach 
was  surrounded  by  a  mass  of  interested  spectators, 
while  at  the  head  of  his  gallant  steeds  stood  Simon, 
bugle  in  hand.  That  this  trusty  government  offi- 
cial was  possessed  of  information  of  a  most  startling 
nature,  none  could  doubt.  Many  openly  asserted 
their  belief  that  Simon  was  ready  to  proclaim  the 
final  dissolution  of  the  world,  in  the  coming  of 
which  there  was  a  widespread  belief  on  the  part  of 
the  old  parson's  followers ;  others  were  simply 
dumfounded,  not  knowing  how  to  account  for  the 
old  coachman's  performances. 

"  It  was  not,  however,  until  Squire  Benton 
elbowed  his  way  through  the  crowd  and  stood  face 
to  face  with  Simon,  that  the  alarming  news,  con- 
veyed to  Jimmy  the  master  a  moment  before,  was 
fully  confirmed.  Mounting  the  platform  of  the  old 
coach  and  breaking  the  seal  of  an  official  document 
from  the  Secretary  of  State,  he  read  aloud : 


1 1 8  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"  *  THOMAS  BENTON,  Esq., 

"  'Take  notice,  and  convey  the  information  to  the  constitu- 
ents of  Emden  district,  that  the  Act  creating  the  Common 
School  System  has  become  the  law  of  this  Commonwealth.' 

"  A  change  of  steeds ;  the  replacing  of  the  old 
mail-pouch  under  the  seat ;  a  good-by  salute  that 
4  set  the  wild  echoes  flying ;'  and  with  reins  well  in 
hand,  Simon  disappeared,  leaving  the  parson  and 
the  squire  in  earnest  communion  with  Jimmy  the 
master,  on  whose  features  was  depicted  that  deep 
distress  which  eventually  was  to  overtake  every  old 
schoolmaster  in  the  Commonwealth." 

This,  dear,  reader,  is  but  one  of  the  many  remi- 
niscences of  other  days  that  the  thoughts  of  Old 
Blind  Tom  had  suggested  to  the  mind  of  Nicholas, 
in  his  last  half  hour's  journey  toward  the  county 
seat. 

"  Ah  Nell,  a  few  more  paces  and  we  shall  be  feast- 
ing on  the  best  that  the  hospitality  of  the  old  town 
can  afford,"  was  his  consoling  remark,  as  his  eyes 
took  in  the  tall  spires  for  which  the  metropolis  of 
Blackwell  county  has  ever  been  famous.  As  the 
chimes  of  the  distant  church  bells  broke  upon  his 
ear  and  disturbed  the  reverie  into  which  he  had 
fallen,  his  attention  was  attracted  to  a  dilapidated 
structure  that  once  upon  a  time  was  the  most  pre- 
tentious and  noted  hostelry  along  this  section  of  the 
king's  highway.  This  now  antiquated  and  weather- 
beaten  inn  might  easily  have  been  overlooked,  but 
for  the  conspicuous  sign-post  that  stood  promi- 


Simon  the  Driver.  1 1 9 

nently  by  the  road-side,  on  the  large  round  swing- 
ing sign  of  which  was  to  be  seen  the  faded  inscrip- 
tion, "The  Trumpet,"  under  a  picture  of  that 
instrument. 

"  Ah,  Nelly,  you  seem  to  remember  this  rough- 
hewn  , water  trough/'  muttered  Comenius,  as  his 
thirsty  nag  drew  up  in  front  of  the  running  pump, 
famous  in  days  gone  by  for  its  clear,  sparkling 
draughts  that  quenched  the  thirst  of  man  and 
beast.  As  he  cast  his  eyes  down  into  the  flowing 
stream  that  ran  clear  and  bright  before  him. 
thoughts  of  Simon  crowded  upon  his  mind.  What 
had  riveted  the  attention  of  Nicholas  to  this  placid 
pool  of  water,  supplied  by  the  running  brook  that 
gurgled  down  the  hillside?  On  the  old  sign-board 
had  he  not  beheld  only  a  moment  before  an  exact 
counterpart  of  Simon's  trumpet?  He  understood 
its  meaning,  knew  the  old  inn  had  adopted  this 
emblem  many  long  years  before  in  honor  of  Simon; 
but  there,  reflected  from  the  mirror-like  surface, 
was  the  very  picture  of  the  old  mail  coach  !  What 
could  it  mean  ?  Was  it  only  a  reflection  from  his 
own  mind?  He  rubbed  his  eyes  in  despair,  ad- 
justed his  spectacles,  but  there  was  the  very  image 
of  the  old  Tally-Ho  coach.  The  felloes  had  fallen 
from  the  tires ;  the  spokes  had  become  tainted 
with  rust  and  showed  signs  of  decay  ;  but  here  was 
still  the  inscription,  reflected  in  the  sun's  early 
morning  rays:  "Packet  Line  Mail  Coach  No.  10." 

u  You  seern  to  recognize  the  old  stage,  my  early 


Simon  the  Driver.  121 

visitor,"  came  a  voice  as  a  stout-set,  elderly  person 
stepped  from  the  rear.  "And  maybe  you've  sat 
behind  the  old  driver  on  more  than  one  of  his  trips, 
as  he  went  flying  over  the  king's  highway  at  a  rate 
that  has  never  been  equaled.  He  was  a  record- 
breaker,  was  Simon,  and  up  to  the  last  trip  he  ever 
made,  held  the  post  of  honor  in  the  government 
service.  You,  see,  stranger,  I  was  only  a  lad  when 
Simon  drove  his  steeds  up  to  the  old  barn  door, 
side-tracked  the  rickety  concern,  and  with  tears  in 
his  eyes  sang  me  a  song  that  I've  never  forgotten. 
It  wasn't  much  of  a  song,  my  old  friend,  and  it 
didn't  make  much  impression  on  my  young  mind 
then ;  but  since  the  old  inn  has  gone  to  ruin  for 
want  of  custom,  and  the  pike  to  seed  for  want  of 
traffic,  I've  found  more  truth  than  fiction  in  the  old 
song.  You  see,  it  was  one  of  Simon's  own  compo- 
sitions, and  if  you're  not  too  much  in  a  hurry  I'll 
sing  you  a  verse  or  two  to  revive  old  recollections 
as  you  continue  your  journey  toward  the  county 
seat."  And  so,  forgetful  of  the  condition  of  mind 
into  which  Comenius  had  fallen  by  the  reflection 
of  the  old  coach  in  the  sparkling  water  before  him, 
the  good-natured  landlord  sang  aloud : 

4 'You'll  hear  no  more  the  clanking  hoof, 

And  the  stage-coach  rattling  by  ; 
For  the  steam-king  rules  the  traveled  world, 
And  the  pike  is  left  to  die. 

"The  grass  grows  over  the  flinty  path, 
And  the  bright-eyed  daisies  steal 


122  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Where  Simon's  stage  horse,  day  by  day, 
Ivifted  his  iron  heel. 

"No  more  you'll  hear  the  cracking  whip, 

Or  the  blast  of  the  trumpet's  sound; 
For  ah!  the  water  drives  us  on, 
And  an  iron  horse  is  found ! 

' 'The  coach  stands  rusting  in  the  yard, 
And  the  horse  has  sought  the  plow; 
They've  spanned  the  world  with  an  iron  rail, 
And  the  steam-king  rules  us  now." 

"  There's  more  of  the  old  song,  my  friend,  but 
whenever  I  get  to  singing  it,  there's  such  a  heavy 
feeling  comes  over  me  that  it  sets  my  head  swim- 
ming and  drives  all  the  poetry  out  of  it,"  was  the 
doleful  comment,  as  he  wiped  away  a  big  tear. 

"Ah,"  sighed  Nicholas,  as  he  kept  his  eyes 
riveted  on  the  fast-receding  shadow  as  it  flickered  in 
the  sun's  bright  rays,  "it's  many  long  years  since 
Simon  paid  the  debt  of  nature  and  was  laid  away 
in  some  lone  burying-ground." 

u  Why  bless  you,  no,  not  if  the  reports  that  every 
now  and  then  reach  the  old  inn  be  true,  he  isn't," 
came  the  quick  response,  as  the  old  innkeeper 
stepped  up  and  extended  his  hand  to  Comenius. 
"  Dead  he  may  be,  but  if  so  his  spirit  and  the  echo 
of  his  bugle-horn  are  still  hovering  around  among 
the  defiles  of  Shaky  Mountain,  where  he  was  last 
seen  only  a  short  time  ago.  It  may  be  only  a 
superstition,  my  wise  old  friend,  that's  taken  pos- 
session of  the  minds  of  some ;  but  it  was  only  yester- 


Simon  the  Driver.  123 

day  that  old  Eusebius  came  flying  up  to  this  very 
watering-trough  all  flustrated,  declaring  on  his 
word  of  honor  '  The  world's  coming  to  an  end,  to- 
morrow, Thanksgiving,  as  sure  as  gospel  preach- 
ing.' Said  he,  '  There  were  three  blasts  of  Simon's 
trumpet  in  quick  succession,  and  as  three  blasts 
of  Simon's  horn  are  equal  to  one  from  the  trumpet 
of  old  Gabriel,  it's  time  for  every  old  sinner  to  be 
making  preparation  for  the  upward  journey !'  You 
see  he  was  only  half  in  earnest  until  his  eyes 
caught  on  to  the  shadow  of  the  old  coach  deep 
down  in  the  shining  pool,  when  he  fell  over  on  his 
old  nag's  mane  in  a  dead  faint.  Thinking  that 
possibly  he'd  gone  off  for  good,  I  gathered  him  up 
and  carried  him  over  beside  the  bar,  where  a  little 
spirits  out  of  Simon's  old  decanter  soon  brought 
him  to  his  senses." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  little  episode,  the  burly 
innkeeper  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh.  Then  look- 
ing straight  into  the  face  of  Comenius,  he  smilingly 
added:  u  You  see,  my  old  friend,  that  of  the  hun- 
dreds who  draw  up  in  front  of  the  running  pump, 
there's  scarcely  one  who  ever  thinks  of  looking  up 
yonder  on  the  old  platform.  When  they  see  the 
reflection  in  the  pool,  and  hear  the  gurgling  sound 
of  the  water  running  through  the  pipe,  it's  ten  to 
one  they  go  away  believing  that  the  spirit  of  Simon 
is  still  hovering  around  the  old  stage  coach." 

But  to  this  plausible  narrative,  concocted  by  the 
jolly  landlord  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  Simon 


124  Nicholas  Comenius. 

and  to  preserve  the  reputation  of  the  old  hostelry, 
Nicholas  gave  little  heed.  He  well  understood  the 
philosophy  that  had  produced  this  optical  illusion, 
yet  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  as  well  as  his  failing- 
eyesight,  he  dismounted,  ascended  the  frail  stair- 
way, and  a  moment  later  stood  face  to  face  with 
the  old  time-saver  he  had  known  so  many  years 
before.  What  a  strange  combination  of  circum- 
stances had  suddenly  brought  him  into  communion 
with  this  memento  of  other  days!  But  what  to 
the  mind  of  Nicholas  had  seemed  like  an  appari- 
tion a  moment  before  was  now  a  reality  ;  for  there 
on  the  side  of  the  time-worn  body  of  the  coach  was 
the  inscription  corresponding  with  the  reflection  he 
had  seen  deep  down  in  the  shining  pool :  "  Packet 
Line  Mail  Coach  No.  io.n  And  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  there  on  its  side  was  the  small  round  inden- 
denture  made  fifty  years  before  by  a  well  directed 
shot.  He  inserted  his  long  slender  finger,  and 
vividly  recalled  how  one  stormy  night  a  bullet 
had  whizzed  by  his  own  head,  while  Simon  was 
driving  his  spanking  team  of  six  in  hand  along 
that  dangerous  tract  of  woodland  known  as  the 
"  Round  Up." 

As  Nicholas  stood  thus  recalling  the  many  ex- 
periences of  his  long  and  eventful  life,  he  was 
startled  by  the  sweet  strains  of  a  trumpet  For  a 
moment  he  stood  spellbound,  listening  to  what 
seemed  like  the  dying  echoes  of  some  far-off  bugle- 
horn.  But  the  next  instant  there  came  a  soul- 


Simon  the  Driver.  125 

thrilling  blast  that  almost  shook  the  platform 
beneath  his  feet.  Paralyzed  by  the  peculiar  quality 
of  the  intonation  and  by  a  musical  accentuation 
which  had  never  been  equaled  since  Simon's  day, 
Comenius  stood  tottering  on  the  frail  support. 
Then,  as  the  notes  ceased  to  vibrate,  he  hurried 
down  the  narrow  steps  to  behold  an  object  from 
which  for  a  moment  he  instinctively  recoiled. 
There  in  the  bright  sunlight  before  him  were  the 
now  shriveled  features,  out  of  which  shone  the 
same  round  hazel  eyes — eyes  once  seen  never  to  be 
forgotten.  And  there  over  his  now  shrunken 
shoulders  still  hung  his  long  strands  of  dull-bronze 
hair.  The  tall,  slender  form,  that  once  towered  a 
head  above  all  his  competitors,  was  now  bent  and 
haggard.  But  there  before  his  doubting  eyes  stood 
the  very  image  of  Simon,  with  trumpet  in  hand. 
As  Nicholas  trembling  approached  this  figure  that 
seemed  more  like  an  apparition  than  a  human 
being,  he  raised  the  trumpet  to  his  lips  for  a  second 
time  and  sent  forth  such  a  blast  as  shook  the  very 
foundation  walls  of  the  old  inn.  And  as  the  strain 
fell  to  a  whisper,  with  a  smile  of  recognition  upon 
his  disturbed  features  and  without  uttering  a  word, 
Simon  reeled,  fell  back  into  the  arms  of  Comenius 
and  expired.  But  though  the  bugle  of  Simon, 
driver  of  Packet  Line  Mail  Coach  No.  10,  hangs 
still  in  the  old  hostelry,  the  echoes  of  his  last  bugle- 
blast  are  said  still  to  be  heard  reverberating  over 
the  hillsides  and  valleys  of  Blackwell  county. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   YOUNG  SUPERINTENDENT. 

WHEN  Nicholas  reached  the  main  thoroughfare, 
u-ar  by  which  stood  the  temple  of  justice,  his  at- 
tention was  attracted  by  a  moving  mass  of  young 
men  and  women,  all  wending  their  way  toward  the 
objective  point,  the  court  room,  for  the  time  had 
nearly  arrived  for  the  exercises  to  begin.  In  the 
midst  of  a  small  circle  of  teachers  stood  the  young 
Superintendent,  anxiously  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
the  principal  lecturer  of  the  day. 

"Ah,  here  he  comes,  with  the  pockets  of  his 
great-coat  crammed  with  manuscripts  bearing  on 
every  phase  of  the  olden-time  dispensation,"  humor- 
ously suggested  one  of  the  committee,  as  he  caught 
sight  of  an  old  man  jogging  along  head  and  should- 
ers above  the  average  backwoodsman. 

"Come,  boys,  no  time  for  jesting,"  replied  the 
Superintendent,  whose  eyes  were  turned  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  station  from  which  the  speaker  of 
the  day  was  momentarily  expected. 

"  He  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  Nicholas 
Comenius,  the  first  County  Superintendent  of 
Blackwell  county,"  chimed  in  a  rather  prepossess- 
126 


The  Young  Superintendent.  127 

ing  individual  of  more  than  the  average  intelli- 
gence. 

"Acquainted  with  the  old  gentleman  ?"  inquired 

another  bystander. 

u  Nicholas  Comenius?"  replied  the  committee- 
man  addressed,  with  a  look  of  half-suppressed  con- 
tempt, "  No,  not  exactly  acquainted  with  the  old 
pedagogue,  although  I  have  frequently  heard  his 
name  mentioned/'  and  the  speaker  turned  on  his 
heel  and  glanced  at  the  venerable  stranger. 

"  Would  it  not  be  in  keeping  with  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  common  school  system  to  give  these 
old  defenders  of  the  cause  a  chance  to  be  heard 
before  the  institute,  and  to  keep  alive  the  memory 
of  their  services  in  the  school  libraries  of  the  state?' ' 
continued  the  gentleman  who  had  recognized 
Comenius,  directing  his  remarks  to  the  Superin- 
tendent. 

"The  truth  is,"  was  the  curt  rejoinder,  "there 
are  so  many  live  issues  demanding  the  attention  of 
our  young  teachers,  that  any  reference  to  these  old- 
timers  must  of  necessity  be  brief  and  to  the  point. 
Indeed,  an  effort  has  frequently  been  made  by  our 
more  experienced  educators  to  commemorate  the 
services  of  several  of  these  early  leaders,  but  it  is  a 
very  difficult  matter  to  awaken  much  enthusiasm. 
You  see,"  he  continued,  somewhat  annoyed  by  the 
necessity  of  explanation,  "  there  isn't  one  teacher 
out  of  a  score  of  our  Normal  School  graduates,  who 
will  remain  in  the  profession  longer  than  is  abso- 


1  28  Nicholas  Comenius. 

lutely  necessary  to  fit  him  for  some  other  profes- 
sional calling." 

"They  wouldn't  subscribe,  then,  for  a  hand- 
somely illustrated  volume  on  Nicholas  Comenius, 
at  a  reasonable  price  ?"  was  smilingly  suggested. 

"  No ;  while  the  great  majority  of  our  teachers 
are  very  enthusiastic,  and  very  attentive  at  the 
institute,  they  are  not  much  given  to  reading  of  a 
miscellaneous  character.  There  are  so  many  sub- 
jects, you  see,  in  the  school  curriculum,  that  few 
of  our  teachers  can  find  time  to  read  the  daily 
newspapers  or  the  leading  magazines.'' 

"  So  much  in  the  school  curriculum  that  teachers 
cannot  find  time  to  read  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines !  What  a  commentary  on  the  free  school 
system  in  Blackwell  county !  How  then,  Mr. 
Superintendent,"  he  asked,  "do  you  account  for 
your  institute  being  among  the  foremost  in  the 
State  for  attendance,  and  the  interest  taken  by  the 
public?" 

"That  is  easily  accounted  for,"  he  replied.  "In 
the  first  place,  if  the  Superintendent  of  any  county 
is  wide  awake  and  enthusiastic,  he'll  find  many 
important  phases  of  education,  new  and  improved 
methods,  outside  of  the  newspapers  and  magazines, 
for  the  instruction  of  the  young.  I  am  ever  on  the 
lookout  for  what  are  recognized  in  certain  circles 
as  professional  experts ;  and  as  soon  as  one  is 
brought  to  my  notice,  through  the  journals  or 
lyiterary  Bureau,  I  secure  his  services  if  possible ; 


The  Young  Superintendent.  129 

and  the  greater  his  notoriety,  the  higher  his  price, 
the  greater  the  guarantee  for  the  highest  literary 
attainments.  You  see,  we  must  keep  abreast  of 
the  age ;  and  in  order  to  do  so,  we  must  employ 
only  the  best  and  the  newest  to  be  had  in  the 
domain  of  education.  The  moss-backs  and  intel- 
lectual fossils  of  years  ago  would  only  be  a  dead 
weight  to  the  institute  work  ;  and  for  that  reason  I 
have  seldom  recalled  an  instructor  who  has  once 
appeared  before  the  institute.  The  minds  of  the 
teachers,  especially  the  older  ones,  need  some 
friction  and  polish ;  and  new  instructors  from  a 
distance  are  apt  to  fill  the  bill  better  than  those 
who  have  a  personal  acquaintance  with  the  needs 
of  the  teachers.  Many  instructors  deal  out  good 
solid  information,  but  it  is  often  from  the  old  rack, 
and  hence  is  not  the  kind  of  knowledge  expected 
at  teachers'  institutes.  We  must  have  something 
electrical,  bewildering,  so  as  to  make  a  profound 
impression  on  the  minds  of  all  present — directors 
as  well  as  teachers.  An  aurora  borealis  exhibition, 
you  see,  is  highly  attractive,  and  has  a  two-fold 
use ;  it  raises  the  instructor  to  a  lofty  niche  in  the 
estimation  of  the  teacher,  and  disabuses  the  minds 
of  the  public  school  teachers  as  to  their  own  effi- 
ciency. It  also  creates  a  habit  of  close  attention 
and  takes  away  the  habit  of  inquiry.  By  this  I 
mean,  the  teachers  do  not  feel  warranted  in  asking 
questions ;  in  fact,  they  are  for  the  time  over- 
whelmed by  the  irresistible  way  in  which  the 
9 


130  Nicholas  Comeniu$. 

modern  educator  presents  his  views.  There  are 
always  some  teachers  of  independent  thought  and 
speech,  who  if  they  are  not  overawed  by  the 
superior  and  startling  manner  of  the  speaker,  are 
apt  to  quibble  and  raise  objections,  and  so  bring 
chaos  into  the  established  order  of  things,  and 
break  up  the  regularity  so  necessary  to  a  well- 
conducted  teachers'  institute.  The  public  of 
Blackwell  county  assume  that  their  teachers,  while 
institute  is  in  session,  are  getting  the  best  intel- 
lectual diet  to  be  had ;  in  fact,  that  the  institute  is 
an  ideal  mental  feast,  abounding  in  choice  viands, 
and  served  with  that  pedagogic  skill  characteristic 
of  master  minds.  This  is  the  secret  of  a  successful 
institute,  and  I  hope  it  answers  fully  the  question 
you  put  to  me.n 

"  Quite  to  the  point — but  supposing  a  teacher 
does  not  comprehend  a  subject  as  presented?"  sug- 
gested the  stranger. 

"  It  is  the  teacher's  business  to  comprehend;  and 
besides,  no  teacher  claiming  familiarity  with  the 
theory  and  practice  of  teaching  would  venture  to 
expose  his  ignorance.  Every  teacher  knows  that 
the  eyes  of  the  institute  would  be  upon  him,  and 
that  likely  he  would  be  made  the  butt  of  unlimited 
jest  and  ridicule.  It  is  practically  understood  by 
teachers  that  they  are  to  take  notes  of  the  subject 
matter  presented,  and  not  interpose  any  questions, 
apt  or  otherwise.  In  other  words,  the  institute  is 
not  intended  to  furnish  brain  or  brain  material,  but 


The  Young  Superintendent.  1 3 1 

rather  to  serve  as  a  grindstone,  to  point  and  sharpen 
the  information  which  the  teachers  bring  with 
them/' 

"  A  most  excellent  idea,"  was  the  reply,  after  a 
moment's  hesitation,  uand  no  doubt  it  has  the 
effect  desired.  Of  course  the  majority  of  the  teach- 
ers of  your  institute  are  young  and  bright,  and  not 
like  elderly  folks,  slow  to  catch  on.  When,  attend- 
ing one  of  the  recent  sessions  I  saw  but  few  gray 
heads,  and  I  wondered  what  becomes  of  the  teachers 
when  they  are  advanced  in  years." 

u  Teachers  nowadays  seldom  remain  in  the  pro- 
fession long  enough  to  get  gray  hairs,"  was  the 
Superintendent's  apt  rejoinder.  "  The  young  men 
are  aspiring  to  other  and  more  lucrative  callings, 
and  use  the  school-room  only  as  a  stepping-stone  to 
something  better.  And  the  girl  teachers  are  ever 
on  the  lookout  for  desirable  matrimonial  engage- 
ments, hence  they  do  not  play  pedagogue  longer 
than  they  must.  Besides,  I  do  not  particularly 
favor  old  teachers,  because  they  are  apt  to  get  the 
intellectual  dry-rot,  and  you  see  there  is  no  remedy 
for  that  disease.  Give  me  young,  ardent,  enthu- 
siastic teachers,  full  of  fire  and  fervor,  and  I  can 
organize  an  army  that  will  prove  invincible.  The 
young  people  are  more  apt  to  excel  in  all  the  later 
theories,  and  are  more  perceptive  and  receptive." 

u  But  one  more  suggestion,  Mr.  Superintendent — 
Do  you  not  find  that  the  experienced  teaclier  gives 
better  satisfaction,  and  produces  better  results? 


132  Nicholas  Comenius. 

And  is  it  not  true  that  public  sentiment  is  averse 
to  having  the  schools  experimented  upon  by  mere 
novices,  who  use  the  school-room  simply  as  a  means 
to  an  end?" 

u  You  see,"  was  the  somewhat  impatient  reply, 
with  a  glance  at  his  time-piece,  "  both  the  results 
and  the  satisfaction  with  the  teachers'  work  are 
largely  determined  by  the  Superintendent.  But 
stranger,"  said  he,  turning  to  depart,  "  as  this  is  a 
delicate  question,  I  hope  you  will  excuse  further 
reference  to  it." 

u  You  have  certainly  enlightened  me  on  the 
secret  of  your  success,  Mr.  Superintendent,  and  I 
feel  indebted  to  you  for  the  freedom  with  which 
you  have  stated  the  case."  And  with  a  wave  of  the 
hand  the  stranger  disappeared  among  the  multitude 
of  young  professional  teachers. 

But,  dear  reader,  be  not  dismayed  at  what  may 
seem  like  a  reflection  upon  the  modern  teachers' 
institute,  or  the  earnest,  conscientious  Superinten- 
dent. Far  be  it  from  the  writer  to  unduly  reflect 
upon  any  such  faithful  officer,  or  the  great  body  of 
the  teachers  directly  entrusted  to  his  charge.  If 
abuses  have  crept  into  the  system ;  if  the  teacher's 
institute  has  become,  in  many  instances,  the  mod- 
ern Superintendent's  hobby;  if  the  system  itself 
has  failed  in  that  higher  order  of  development  es- 
sentially necessary  to  fit  the  average  boy  for  the 
responsible  duties  of  every-day  business;  if,  as 
must  be  evident  to  all  who  are  not  blinded  to  the 


The  Young  Superintendent.  133 

fact,  the  common  schools  were  not  conceived  for 
the  ostensible  object  of  educating  the  masses  for 
one  single  purpose,  and  that  the  teacher's  profes- 
sion ;  then  it  behooves  the  master  minds  of  the  pro- 
fession to  ask  themselves  the  question,  "What 
shall  we  do  to  be  saved?"  Shall  we  call  a  halt  in 
the  onward  rush  for  additional  legislation,  that  is 
neither  demanded  by  public  sentiment  on  the  one 
hand  nor  the  absolute  wants  of  the  schools  on  the 
other? 

But  this  clamoring  for  additional  legislation  rests 
not  alone  with  the  body  of  professional  teachers. 
At  the  recent  organization  of  a  State  Directors' 
convention,  this  remarkable  statement  was  openly 
set  forth  by  one  high  in  authority:  "The  Legisla- 
ture," said  he,  "advances  and  educates  public  sen- 
timent; the  latter  is  secondary  and  must  follow." 
And  in  the  discussion  that  followed,  another,  prom- 
inent in  the  department  of  state,  gloried  in  the  fact 
that  when  he  was  a  member  of  the  lower  House  he 
had  voted  in  direct  opposition  to  the  prevailing 
sentiment  of  his  constituency  on  an  important 
school  measure.  And  still  another  boldly  advanced 
the  doctrine  that  after  he  had  been  elected  director, 
he  had  felt  it  to  be  his  bounden  duty  to  ignore 
public  sentiment,  and  vote  in  accordance  with  his 
own  individual  judgment  on  all  questions  pertain- 
ing to  the  schools  of  his  district.  "Give  us  a  sys- 
tem," cries  one,  "  which  in  order  and  method  is  a 
model  of  perfection,  and  as  perfectly  adjusted  in  all 


134  Nicholas  Comenius. 

its  parts  as  the  phonograph;"  while  another 
clamors  for  the  Legislature  to  assume  entire  con- 
trol of  the  machinery,  with  the  hope  that  the  tax- 
payer may  eventually  rest  happy  under  the  delu- 
sion that  he  has  been  relieved  from  all  local  taxa- 
tion for  school  purposes.  But  may  not  the  old 
adage,  " What  is  everybody's  businesses  nobody's 
business,"  then  be  exemplified  in  the  management 
of  the  schools?  Directors  will,  in  a  manner,  be 
elected  as  agents  of  the  State,  to  apportion  the 
money  to  the  wants  of  the  schools,  rather  than  as 
custodians  of  the  best  interest  of  the  district.  Who 
will  particularly  care  for  the  schools,  when  public 
sentiment  shall  have  become  dead,  and  the  school 
system  an  absolute  part  of  the  machinery  of  the 
State,  and  under  direct  State  control  ?  And  what 
will  become  of  the  tax-payer's  interest  in  the 
schools,  when  he  shall  have  been  relieved  of  all 
local  taxation? 

'Has  the  annual  appropriation  of  over  five  and 
one-half  million  dollars,  actually  strengthened  the 
system  ?  comes  the  pertinent  question— -in  a  whisper 
only.  Has  the  percentage  of  better  qualified 
teachers  been  increased?  Has  the  school  term, 
excepting  in  a  few  instances,  been  lengthened? 
Have  the  salaries  been  materially  increased?  Has 
it  broadened  and  deepened  public  sentiment?  On 
the  other  hand,  has  it  not  engendered  a  disposition 
toward  indifference  on  the  part  of  the  School 
Boards,  as  well  as  on  the  part  of  the  tax-payer? 


The  Young  Superintendent.  135 

Perhaps  years  hence,  when  the  teacher's  calling 
shall  have  become  a  profession — for  at  the  present 
day  it  is  merely  a  stepping-stone  to  some  other 
more  remunerative  avocation — when  the  teacher 
shall  receive  adequate  pay ;  when  the  most  intelli- 
gent and  best  equipped  teachers  shall  be  found  in 
the  primary  department  of  city  and  borough 
schools ;  when  the  graduate  of  the  Normal  school 
shall  become  a  professional  teacher,  instead  of  a 
member  of  some  other  profession  ;  when  a  system 
of  schools  for  the  rural  districts  shall  not  have  for 
its  sole  object  and  purpose  the  training  of  boys  and 
girls  for  the  industrial  centres  of  population — 
when  all  these  and  many  other  improvements  in 
the  right  direction  shall  have  been  made,  then 
perhaps  some  reminiscent  grandfather  may  tell  the 
story  of  the  present  system  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  future,  as  Nicholas  Comenius  proposes  to  judge 
the  present  from  the  standpoint  of  the  pant. 


CHAPTER  XL 

AN  INSTRUCTOR'S  VIEW  OF  INSTITUTE. 

THE  passing  of  an  old  man  on  horseback  through 
one  of  the  principal  streets  of  the  metropolis  in  the 
early  morning,  being  a  frequent  occurrence,  little 
heed  was  given  to  the  mention  of  the  name  Nicho- 
las Coinenius.  There  were  other  more  weighty 
thoughts  occupying  the  minds  of  the  committee  of 
arrangements,  whom  the  Superintendent  had  dis- 
patched to  the  station  to  await  the  arrival  of  the 
fast  express,  thirty  minutes  behind  schedule  time, 
from  aboard  of  which  stepped  a  most  important 
personage. 

u  Allow  me,  Professor,  to  welcome  you  back  to 
the  metropolis  of  Blackwell  county,  and  to  extend 
my  personal  congratulations,  as  a  slight  manifesta- 
tion of  my  hearty  approval  of  the  able  manner  in 
which  you  enlivened  the  proceedings  of  the  insti- 
tute during  your  short  stay  with  us  a  year  ago. 
Your  powers  of  mimicry  and  your  impersonations 
of  (  Ye  old-time  Schoolmaster '  seemed  to  keep  the 
audience  in  a  constant  state  of  hilarity  and  good 
humor.  In  fact,  Professor,  the  dullness  of  the  pro- 
ceedings during  the  past  three  days  has  only 


An  Instructor  s  View.  137 

tended  to  sharpen  the  appetite  of  the  rank  and  file 
of  our  teachers  for  a  grand  literary  treat  at  your 
hands. ' '  These  complimentary  remarks  came  from 
the  spokesman  of  the  committee,  and  were  ad- 
dressed to  the  star  lecturer  of  the  occasion,  a 
middle-aged  gentleman  of  culture,  grace  and  re- 
finement. 

"  Allow  me  in  return  to  thank  you,  my  young 
friends,  for  the  compliment  paid  me,"  came  the 
felicitous  recognition,  as  he  gave  each  a  hearty 
shake  of  the  hand.  "Then  you  were  entertained, 
and  I  hope  instructed  at  the  same  time,"  continued 
he,  in  his  affable  manner. 

"  Indeed,  Professor,  we  were  more  than  enter- 
tained, we  were  simply  captivated  by  the  power  of 
your  eloquence;  and  I  feel  at  this  very  moment," 
smilingly  continued  the  spokesman,  "  as  though 
I  were  a  thousand  miles  removed  from  the  drudg- 
ery of  the  school-room.  Why,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  your  inspiration,  the  humdrum  of  school 
life  vanished  like  a  dream  !  It  makes  one  feel  that 
there  are  many  phases  of  our  modern  school  life 
never  dreamed  of  by  the  pedantic  old-time  school- 
masters of  a  generation  ago." 

"Yes,  yes,  my  young  friends,"  came  the  sug- 
gestive reply;  "but  what  to  teach  and  fiow  to 
teach,  thoroughly  and  well,  in  the  common  Schools 
of  the  land,  are  problems  that  still  await  definite 
solution.  We  are  drifting  so  rapidly  from  one  ex- 
treme to  another,  or  rather  skimming  over  the  sur- 


138  Nicholas  Comenius. 

face,  that  the  leading  educators  of  the  country 
stand  appalled  at  the  outlook.  That  this  feeling 
is  prevalent  throughout  every  State  in  the  Union 
is  made  manifest  at  every  county  and  city  superin- 
tendents' convention,  state  and  national  teachers' 
association,  the  country  over.  There  no  longer 
seems  to  be  any  common  ground  upon  which  any 
two  minds  can  fully  agree.  Indeed,  the  system 
still  seems  to  be  in  a  state  of  transition,  only  to 
become  more  and  more  involved  by  yearly  addi- 
tions to  the  school  curriculum.  On  this  line,  the 
processes  of  addition  and  multiplication  seem  to 
dominate  in  the  educational  world.  The  inventive 
faculty  of  the  modern  educator  is  unexcelled  in  the 
scientific  world  ;  and  to  this  inventive  genius, 
when  displayed  upon  the  platform,  the  great  body 
of  teachers  are  ever  ready  to  pay  homage.  To 
keep  alive  the  spirit  of  enthusiasm,  upon  which 
the  very  foundation  of  the  system  is  supposed  to 
rest,  the  educational  pendulum  must  be  kept 
swinging  rapidly  backward  and  forward,  all  at  the 
expense  of  the  taxpayer.  Year  by  year  the  arc 
of  movement  is  increased  and  the  curriculum  en- 
larged. The  correlated  processes  of  subtraction  or 
division,  whereby  this  often  unwieldly  curriculum 
might  be  kept  within  reasonable  limits,  are  seldom 
suggested,  and  almost  never  considered. 

u  I  can  in  no  way  better  illustrate  my  meaning, 
my  young  friends,  than  by  quoting  from  a  recent 
speech  of  a  prominent  Normal  Principal,  'The 


An  Instructor's  View.  139 

great  trouble, '  said  he,  (  with  the  work  and  theory 
of  our  new  education  is  the  crowding  of  the  school 
curriculum.  The  modern  theorist  takes  some 
point  for  a  start  and  then  he  calmly  proceeds  to 
analyze,  synthesize,  induce  and  deduce,  until  he 
gets  that  point  connected  with  everything  else  in 
the  universe  that  he  has  seen,  heard  or  thought  of. 
Basing  their  plan  on  the  assumption  that  some 
time  a  child  will  need  certain  facts  and  principles, 
these  foolish  teachers  cram  the  mind  and  dissipate 
the  energies  of  their  pupils  with  an  endless  series 
of  observations,  inductions  and  deductions  in  the 
realms  of  all  the  "ologies"  and  "isms."  The 
little  minds  are  filled  with  a  jumble  of  monads, 
protoplasm,  bacteria,  late  novels,  ichthyosaurus, 
dinosaurus,  and  examples  of  creation  generally, 
from  the  primordial  protoplasm  to  the  attenuated 
theory  of  a  Boston  transcendentalist.  Each  teacher 
and  specialist  in  turn  pounces  on  the  hapless  child, 
and  each  little  faculty,  as  it  were,  is  taken  out  of 
each  little  head  and  given  a  special  twist  in  the 
direction  of  some  new  fad — for,  like  Cicero,  these 
mighty  leaders  of  thought  take  little  stock  in  the 
work  begun  by  other  men.  Each  is  a  champion 
of  something  that  in  his  opinion  will  shake  the 
earth  to  her  center.  Such  theories  and  stich  work 
are  worthy  of  nothing  but  ridicule.  Such  a  system 
of  education  can  result  in  nothing  to  the  average 
pupil  but  a  smattering.  He  is  dragged  from  Dan 
to  Beersheba,  somewhat  like  a  boy  holding  on  to 


140  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  tail-board  of  a  wagon  drawn  by  a  runaway 
team.  He  doesn't  even  have  time  to  touch  terra 
firma  or  to  admire  the  scenery  as  he  passes.  That 
which  made  great  men  in  the  past  will  make  them 
to-day.  With  all  of  them — Franklin,  Lincoln, 
Garfield  and  the  rest — it  was  some  task  that  re- 
quired the  putting  forth  all  of  their  power. ' 

"Under  our  new  dispensation,  we  hear  far  too 
little  of  this  educational  gospel,  which  is  as  true 
now  as  ever.  The  fact  is,  there  is  entirely  too 
much  costly  display  in  nearly  every  department  of 
our  new  education  ;  and  your  own  institute,  I  am 
compelled  to  say,  is  no  exception.  These  enter- 
taining 'talks,'  as  you  aptly  designate  them,  it  is 
true  may  for  the  time  being  lift  the  institute  into 
an  atmosphere  of  enthusiasm  ;  but  they  are  not  the 
kind  of  talks  calculated  to  advance  the  profession 
along  the  line  of  advanced  thought,  nor  to  place  it 
where  the  early  promoters  of  the  system  intended 
it  should  stand,  on  a  permanent  foundation. '" 

As  these  remarks,  so  manifestly  at  variance  with 
the  tenor  of  the  lecturer's  own  addresses  before  the 
previous  institute,  fell  upon  the  ears  of  this  little 
circle  of  professional  teachers,  there  was  a  moment- 
ary pause,  as  if  they  were  conscious  of  the  awkard 
dilemma  into  which  their  ill-considered  remarks 
had  led  them. 

"  I  fail  to  comprehend,  professor,  how  you,  a 
prominent  institute  instructor,  can  reconcile  your 
position  with  that  assumed  before  the  institute,  if 


An  Instructor's  View.  141 

I  correctly  interpret  your  statement, n  came  in  a 
half  apologetic  tone  from  the  tallest  of  the  little 
circle  of  teachers. 

ult  is  easily  explained,  gentlemen,  and  if  you 
will  bear  with  me  for  another  moment,"  said  he, 
with  a  wave  of  the  hand  and  a  slight  twinkle  of 
the  eye,  "I  will  illustrate  my  meaning  in  away 
that  cannot  be  misunderstood.  As  an  example, 
take  the  teachers  of  your  own  county,  of  whom  you 
no  doubt  constitute  an  important  factor,  if  I  am  to 
judge  by  the  interest  you  have  manifested  in  my 
behalf,  and  for  whose  benefit  I  have  traveled  over 
one  thousand  miles,  at  an  expense  to  your  Superin- 
tendent of  nearly  .three  hundred  dollars,  and  mark 
the  result.  As  most  of  the  teachers  of  Blackwell 
county  are  young,  ardent  and  enthusiastic,  I  am 
presumed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  anticipate  their 
wants  and  to  give  them,  in  my  daily  discourses, 
such  information  as  will  best  aid  them  in  the  prac- 
tical operations  of  the  school-room.  But  while  the 
kind  of  information  they  most  need  is  at  times  dry 
and  insipid,  that  which  they  receive  must  of  neces- 
sity be  of  such  a  character,  I  regret  to  say,  as  will 
appeal  in  the  most  direct  way  to  their  vanity  and 
their  emotional  nature,  rather  than  to  their  sense 
of  reason  and  sound  judgment. 

"  But  to  go  a  step  further:  Institute  instructors 
who  are  annually  called  upon  to  meet  the  whims 
and  caprices  of  superintendents,  teachers  and  direc- 
tors, and  more  especially  the  public  at  large,  which 


142  Nicholas  Comenius. 

of  late  years  has  become  an  important  element  in 
these  annual  educational  gatherings,  have  learned 
by  sad  experience  how  to  handle  a  modern 
teachers'  convention  to  advantage.  On  more 
than  one  occasion  have  I  been  met  by  a  committee 
of  teachers  at  the  station,  and  after  an  all-around 
hand-shake  and  a  few  passing  remarks  about  the 
weather  and  the  crops,  the  chairman  would  elbow 
himself  to  my  side,  grasp  my  satchel,  and  as  we 
jogged  along  arm  in  arm  to  my  hotel  quarters, 
with  the  other  members  at  a  safe  distance  in  the 
rear,  would  remark  in  a  confidential  way :  '  Profes- 
sor, the  institute  is  anticipating,  at  your  hands,  a 
perfect  literary  treat;  the  posters  containing  your 
lithograph  have  already  gone  into  every  nook  and 
corner  of  the  county,  and  the  indications  are  that 
you  will  be  complimented  by  one  of  the  largest 
audiences  you  have  ever  had  the  pleasure  of  ad- 
dressing.' Then  after  a  moment  he  would  pro- 
ceed: 'Now  Professor,  I  hope  that,  in  the  time  set 
apart  for  you,  you  will  manage  to  steer  clear  of  the 
dry  platitudes  of  the  school-room  curriculum;  of 
these  we  have  had  an  ample  sufficiency.  What  we 
most  need  is  a  series  of  talks  that  will  appeal 
directly  to  our  emotional  nature,  in  order  that  the 
murky  atmosphere  of  the  school-room  may  be  for- 
gotten, at  least  for  the  time  being.'  This  is  but  a 
sample,  my  young  friend,  of  the  kind  of  instruction 
expected  at  many  of  these  annual  teachers'  meet- 
ings. Dry  facts,  unless  sugar-coated  or  dealt  out 


An  Instructor '  s  l^iew.  143 

in  homeopathic  doses,  make  little  or  no  impression 
on  the  rank  and  file.  Indeed,  I  can  in  no  way 
more  fully  emphasize  my  concluding  remark  than 
by  reading  an  extract  or  two  from  a  letter  received 
from  your  own  Superintendent  engaging  my  ser- 
vices for  this  occasion. "  Opening  the  letter  he 
read  as  follows: 

"  In  my  humble  efforts  to  provide  for  our  coming  Thanks- 
giving week's  entertainments  in  such  a  way  as  to  eclipse  those 
of  my  worthy  predecessor,  I  am  constrained  to  suggest  that,  in 
your  allotted  time,  you  will  intersperse  whatever  dry  facts  you 
may  have  to  offer  with  matter  calculated  to  lift  our  teachers  to 
a  higher  sphere  of  professional  standing. 

"P.  S.— It  has  been  suggested  in  a  casual  way  by  the  com- 
mittee of  arrangements,  composed  of  five  of  our  leading 
teachers,  that  a  few  well-chosen  anecdotes  apropos  to  the  sub- 
ject matter  in  hand  might  prove  a  wholesome  panacea  for  the 
otherwise  dull  routine  of  the  daily  exercises. ' ' 

Refolding  the  letter  and  casting  a  glance  at  the 
members  of  the  committee,  he  beheld  a  scene  even 
more  sensational  than  any  of  his  talks  had  pro- 
duced among  the  audience  at  the  institute.  A 
death-like  pallor  had  spread  over  their  heretofore 
cheerful  countenances,  as  each  in  turn  began  look- 
ing at  the  others  and  then  for  the  nearest  avenue 
of  escape. 

uOnly  a  few  moments  more,  gentlemen,  while 
I  fully  define  my  position.  Acting  on  the  principle 
that  to  be  forewarned  is  to  be  forearmed,  I  came  to 
the  institute  a  year  ago  at  the  committee's  sug- 
gestion, prepared  to  amuse  and  entertain,  rather 

SBBBfc^^^ 
TMt  Y 


144  Nicholas  Comenins. 

than  to  instruct.  It  is  true,  at  the  close  of  my 
first  hour's  talk  I  was  somewhat  apprehensive  as 
to  the  effects  my  humble  efforts  had  produced  ;  but 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  last  of  my  discourses,  I  felt 
reasonably  confident  that  I  had  not  only  carried 
the  convention  by  storm  (thanks  to  the  generous 
support  which  was  given  by  the  committee  of 
arrangements),  but  that  I  had  left  my  personality 
indelibly  impressed  upon  the  hearts  of  the  teaching 
force  of  Blackwell  county.  I  must  agree  with  you, 
gentlemen,  when  I  say  that  the  outburst  of  ap- 
plause which  followed  my  closing  remarks  was 
simply  bewildering;  and  when  I  took  my  seat 
beside  the  Superintendent,  he  leaned  over  and 
whispered  :  (  Your  highly  entertaining  talks,  Pro- 
fessor, have  acted  like  magic,  insuring  renewed 
interest  in  every  district  in  the  county/ 

"And  now,  my  patient  young  friends,  if  not  too 
much  trouble,  I  should  be  pleased  to  have  you  assist 
me  in  looking  up  the  committee  of  arrangements 
of  a  year  ago,  that  I  may  thank  them  for  their 
untiring  exertions  in  my  behalf. " 

Not  being  able  longer  to  withstand  the  mortifi- 
cation depicted  on  the  faces  of  the  committeemen, 
an  older  teacher  who  was  within  hearing  stepped 
forward  and  said  :  "Allow  me,  Professor,  to  intro- 
duce to  you  the  chairman  and  other  members  of 
the  standing  committee  of  arrangements  of  Black- 
well  County  Teachers'  Institute."  And  just  here 
let  us  drop  the  veil. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   BOOK   DEPARTMENT  OF  THE   INSTITUTE. 

IN  the  delay  occasioned  by  the  tardy  arrival  of 
the  fast  express,  bearing  the  distinguished  institute 
instructor,  Nicholas  had  ample  time,  after  entrust- 
ing Nelly  to  the  care  of  the  old  hotel-keeper,  to  be 
on  hand  before  the  exercises  began.  For  some 
moments  after  reaching  the  great  stone  steps  he 
was  swayed  to  and  fro,  now  on  one  side,  then  on 
the  other,  but  apparently  making  little  headway  in 
his  efforts  to  seek  admission  to  the  main  corridor 
leading  to  the  various  offices  set  apart  for  the 
transaction  of  all  court  proceedings.  On  both  sides 
of  this  avenue  were  long  rows  of  stands  containing 
an  ample  supply  of  the  latest  improved  text-books, 
educational  magazines,  and  other  school-room  ap- 
pliances; while  in  close  proximity  stood  the  repre- 
sentatives of  numerous  school-book  publishers. 
As  Nicholas  stepped  within  the  doorway  he  was 
besieged  on  all  sides  by  a  motley  crowd  of  urchins 
— dispensers  of  every  variety  of  pamphlets  and  cir- 
culars, advertising  the  wares  of  every  conceivable 
traffic,  from  the  peanut  vender  up  to  the  latest 
treatise  on  the  philosophy  of  teaching.  Even  the 
10  145 


(146)  IN   THE   COURT-HOUSE   CORRIDOR. 


Book  Department  of  Institute.  147 

tiles  of  the  floor  were  literally  carpeted  with  an 
assortment  of  circulars  bearing  on  every  subject 
known  even  to  a  modern  teachers'  institute.  As 
Nicholas  cast  his  eyes  around,  his  first  impression" 
was  that  he  had  entered  a  book-store,  and  in  his 
movements  he  endeavored  if  possible  to  avoid  step- 
ping on  any  of  the  handsome  engravings  that  lay  at 
his  feet.  "Ah,"  thought  Nicholas,  as  the  young 
lads  gathered  around  him,  crowding  circular  after 
circular  into  his  hands  and  even  forcing  them  into 
the  capacious  pockets  of  his  great  top-coat,  "truly, 
Nicholas  Comenius  is  no  stranger  after  all  among 
the  young  lads  of  the  institute."  But  when 
he  protested  that  he  was  not  disposed  to  pur- 
chase any  of  the  costly  material  thrust  upon  him, 
the  young  lads  only  chuckled  and  said:  "It's  not 
necessary  to  pay  for  these,  old  man;  given  away 
free  to  everybody  who  attends  the  institute." 

At  last,  as  Nicholas  began  to  feel  himself  at 
home,  he  was  approached  by  a  stylishly-attired 
representative  of  one  of  the  leading  publishing 
houses,  who,  taking  him  aside,  remarked  in  a  very 
confidential  manner:  "What  School  Board  in  the 
county,  my  venerable  friend,  have  you  the  honor  to 
represent?  You  see,"  handing  him  his  card, 
"while  I  am  a  perfect  stranger  in  this  locality,  the 
firm  I  represent  has  the  very  best  line  of  text-books 
in  America.  What  I  say  to  you  must  be  said  in  a 
whisper  and  in  the  strictest  confidence,  for  the 
agent  directly  to  my  right  is  an  old  stager  at  the 


148  Nicholas  Comenius. 

business,  and  claims  to  carry  most  of  the  School 
Boards  of  your  county  in  his  vest  pocket.  Think 
of  it,  Mr.  President,  as  no  doubt  you  are.  Think 
of  these  immense,  overgrown  corporations,  fasten- 
ing their  talons  like  an  octopus  upon  every  self- 
respecting  district  in  the  state  !" 

UI  am  notn — was  Nicholas'  attempted  reply. 

u One  moment,  one  moment  more,  my  friend," 
continued  this  silver-tongued  representative. 
"  Now  if  you  can  guarantee  me  a  hearing  with  any 
degree  of  assurance  that  our  full  line  of  books  will 
receive  favorable  consideration  at  your  next  meet- 
ing, it  will  afford  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  re- 
member you  regularly  with  a  free  copy  of  our  latest 
monthly  publication,  entitled  'The  Director's 
Friend.'" 

"  Your  attention,  for  only  a  moment  or  two,  my 
worthy  friend,"  came  a  voice  from  his  left,  as  a 
delicate  hand  was  gently  laid  upon  his  shoulder. 
"As  you  are  no  doubt,"  remarked  this  enthusiastic 
rival,  ua  very  influential  Director,  consequent  to 
your  age,  allow  me  to  caution  you  against  the 
flattery  of  those  Bostonian  agents.  They  are," 
said  he,  in  a  patronizing  tone  of  voice,  "a  most 
unscrupulous  set,  plying  their  nefarious  traffic  in 
the  very  face  of  our  own  state  publications,  which 
you  will  agree  with  me  should  at  all  times  have 
priority — other  things  of  course  being  equal. 
Now  here,  my  friend,  is  a  new  work"  (hold- 
ing it  up  and  running  through  its  pages  with  the 


Book  Department  of  Institute.  1 49 

expertness  of  a  trained  critic),  uon  the  Philosophy 
of  our  New  Education.  As  a  highly  meritorious 
treatise  on  this  important  subject,  and  partly  as  a 
compliment  to  the  distinguished  author,  whose 
services  the  Superintendent  was  enabled  to  secure 
only  at  great  expense  to  the  institute,  the  Com- 
mittee on  the  Course  of  Study  has  unanimously 
recommended  it  to  the  various  School  Boards  as  an 
invaluable  addition  to  the  school  libraries  of  the 
county. n 

Before  this  enterprising  knight  of  the  literary 
world  had  fully  stated  the  conditions  for  the  in- 
troduction of  this  modern  aid  to  the  professional 
teacher,  and  before  Nicholas  could  make  reply,  he 
was  accosted  on  his  right  by  an  active,  prepossess- 
ing young  individual,  who  grasping  him  by  the 
hand  led  him  aside  and  in  a  pleasing  tone  re- 
marked: "I  have  a  few  words  of  caution  I  desire 
to  impress  upon  you,  my  venerable  friend.  You 
are  evidently  a  director  of  the  old  school,  and  I 
should  judge  from  your  appearance  the  other  mem- 
bers are  equally  conservative  and  little  disposed  to 
take  kindly  to  any  of  the  new-fangled  publications 
these  book-fiends  are  ever  ready  to  force  upon  the 
conscientious  and  unsuspecting  director.  The  very 
name  of  that  book,  the  Philosophy  of  our  New 
Education — should  be  sufficient  to  condemn  it  in 
the  eyes  of  conservatism.  This  continual  prating 
about  our  new  education  is  all  wind — in  fact,  out- 
new  education  is  nothing  but  a  rehash  of  the  old 


150  Nicholas  Comenius. 

under  a  flaming  new  title  and  cover,  to  catch  the 
eye  of  the  young.  Now,  the  publications  I  repre- 
sent are  late  editions  of  a  line  of  educational  works, 
published  first  away  back  in  the  early  forties — 
books  that  were  in  common  use  fifty  years  ago, 
when  you  were,  no  doubt,  a  teacher.  Our  Arith- 
metics, for  example,  are  reproductions  of  the  very 
best  that  swayed  the  mathematical  world  over  two 
generations  ago,  with  the  double  rule  of  three, 
mensuration  and  vulgar  fractions,  the  three  pre- 
dominating essentials.  Our  Spellers  strictly  ad- 
here to  the  old  pronunciation  of  Scriptural  names, 
omitting  many  outlandish  words  invented  by  the 
successors  of  old  Noah  Webster.  (Knew  him  well, 
I  presume,  in  your  early  days,  eh?)  Then  our 
Geographies,  you  will  observe  on  careful  examina- 
tion, conform  to  what,  in  these  days  of  high  pres- 
sure, is  sneeringly  termed  the  'question  and  an- 
swer '  method,  in  contradistinction  to  what  the 
enthusiast  is  pleased  to  designate  'the  search  light 
of  geographical  teaching ' — the  one  claiming  to 
furnish  ideas  only,  the  other  strictly  adhering  to 
the  memory  process  of  fifty  years  ago.  Now,  my 
old  friend,  with  the  educational  world  rushing 
headlong  from  one  extreme  to  the  other,  it  is  cer- 
tainly reassuring  to  find,  among  the  older  Directors, 
at  least  one  with  a  disposition  to  move  slowly. 
Ah,  but  best  of  all  are  our  Readers — reproductions 
of  the  series  known  when  you  were  a  lad  for  their 
many  most  excellent  scriptural  quotations  from  the 


Book  Department  of  Institute.  1 5 1 

proverbs  of  Solomon;  and  based  on  the  principle 
laid  down  two  centuries  ago  by  old  John  Amos 
Comenius,  references  to  whose  writings  you  may 
have  noticed  in  the  olden  times.  And  who  ever 
heard  of  Comenius  wasting  his  time  on  such 
modernized  theories  as  the  Quincy,  the  Grube,  the 
Phonic  or  the  Word  method  ?  Yes,  yes,  the  whole 
line  of  our  publications  possess  a  two-fold  advan- 
tage: first,  old-time  methods  and  contents;  second, 
modern  manufacture.  With  these  two  weapons, 
offensive  and  defensive,  I  am  invincible,  and  at  all 
times  prepared  to  meet  every  shade  of  public  opin- 
ion. For  instance,  in  canvassing  the  young 
teachers,  and  especially  the  younger  members  of 
the  Boards,  I  seldom,  if  ever,  refer  to  the  contents. 
It's  the  binding  that  captures  the  young  chap,  if 
it's  red,  yellow  or  crimson,  with  a  handsomely 
colored  chromo  for  the  frontispiece.  Not  so,  how- 
ever, with  the  conservatives,  whose  eyes  are  seldom 
dazzled  by  the  colors  of  the  rainbow.  With  them, 
it's  a  speech  of  old  Dan  Webster  or  Henry  Clay, 
the  statesmen  of  your  day,  that  brings  the  answer 
every  time.  And  now,  my  venerable  friend,  as  I 
have  enlightened  you  on  a  good  many  important 
subjects,  in  a  confidential  way,  I  hope"— 

iCOh,  give  the  old  man  a  rest,  Ned!"  broke  in  a 
Chorus  of  voices,  with  a  good-natured  chuckle. 
M  What  are  you  giving  the  old  gentleman,  anyway? 
He's  no  school  trustee — only  some  superannuated 
old-time  pedagogue,  whom  the  convention  is  al* 


152  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ways  certain  to  resurrect  once  a  year  on  these  fes- 
tive occasions. " 

"Hold  on,  my  versatile  young  friends!"  came 
the  reply,  as  Nicholas  Comenius,  with  his  well- 
preserved  vigor  and  commanding  physique,  faced 
his  besiegers.  "  You  must  not  let  your  ardor  run 
away  with  your  discretion,  nor  let  your  flippancy 
delude  you  with  a  false  estimation  of  your  smart- 
ness. I  am  neither  a  school  director  nor  intellec- 
tual fossil,  as  your  duplex  opinion  would  have  me. 
Your  gushing  enthusiasm  and  modernized  cuteness 
have  mistaken  the  man,  but  have  most  unmistak- 
ably and  satisfactorily  delineated  your  mental 
status.  What  I  am,  it  does  not  become  me  at  this 
moment  to  dwell  upon,  nor  might  you  care  to 
know — yet  suffice  it  to  say,  fifty  years  ago  it  would 
not  have  been  safe  for  such  characters  as  you  to  run 
at  large.  The  tendency  of  the  times  is  toward  lax 
discipline,  of  which  you  seem  to  be  not  unworthy 
exponents;  and  the  'wide  and  liberal  culture' 
afforded  by  our  modern  teachers'  institutes  seems 
not  to  have  been  bestowed  upon  you  in  vain. 
These  text-books  may  indeed  be  the  best  ever 
printed,  and  the  celebrated  author,  who  you  say  is 
one  of  the  instructors  of  the  institute,  may  be 
worth  the  high  price  paid  him  by  the  County  Super- 
intendent; but  neither  the  excellency  of  the  books, 
nor  the  ability  of  the  noted  author,  can  atone  for 
the  rude  display  of  freshness  and  frivolity  given  by 
you  so  gratuitously  in  my  behalf,  If  I  must  take 


Book  Department  of  Institute.  153 

your  conduct  and  these  incidents  as  an  index  to 
the  institute,  it  may  be  feared  that  the  stern  and 
rugged  discipline  of  the  old  schoolmasters  has 
given  way  to  misdirected  zeal  in  the  interest  of  the 
so-called  'New  Education.'  n 

The  reproof  so  forcibly  administered  had  the  de- 
sired effect  of  putting  to  flight  the  raw  and  undis- 
ciplined book-agents  who  had  imagined  they  could 
make  capital,  for  their  fun  or  profit,  of  the  vener- 
able stranger.  It  was  a  stinging  rebuke,  though 
spoken  in  tones  so  low  that  the  attention  of  the 
ordinary  passer-by  would  not  have  been  arrested. 
Too  well  Comenius  knew  and  appreciated  the  ser- 
vices of  the  well-equipped  book  agent;  for  it  was 
the  text-book  in  the  hands  of  these  thrifty  adven- 
turers that  preceded  the  County  Superintendent  and 
the  best  equipped  educator  in  many  a  backwoods 
district.  Comenius  fully  realized  that  while  their 
mission  in  the  broad  field  of  literature  had  at  times 
added  a  multiplicity  of  branches  to  the  school-room 
curriculum,  the  good  results  attained  during  his 
incumbency  in  office  more  than  compensated  for 
any  injury  done  the  system.  They  may  at  times 
have  overstepped  the  bounds  of  propriety  and  ex- 
pediency, but  wherever  their  influence  had  been 
most  largely  felt,  there  a  preponderance  of  healthy 
public  sentiment  had  ever  existed. 

As  Nicholas  was  in  the  act  of  ascending  the 
long  winding  stair  that  led  to  the  platform  above, 
he  was  startled  by  the  mention  of  hi$  own  name. 


154  Nicholas  Comenius. 

•'Ah,"  thought  he,  uhere,  after  all,  is  some  old- 
time  educator,  claiming  recognition  from  his  old 
friend."  As  he  turned,  an  elderly  gentleman,  of 
perhaps  sixty,  grasped  him  by  the  hand. 

uCan  it  be  possible,"  exclaimed  this  apparent 
stranger,  for  such  he  seemed  in  the  eyes  of  Nich- 
olas, "that  the  pleasure  has  been  afforded  me  of 
meeting  Nicholas  Comenius,  whom  I  have  not  seen 
f  )r  over  twenty  years?  " 

u  You  are  a  stranger  to  me:  in  fact,  I  have  not 
the  slightest  recollection  of  ever  meeting  you," 
exclaimed  Nicholas,  who  was  not  without  his  mis- 
givings lest  a  repetition  of  the  little  episode  that 
had  occurred  a  moment  before  might  be  the  result. 

uWhy!  have  you  forgotten  your  old  friend 
Reynolds — Frank  Reynolds,  of  the  old  house  of 
Brazer  Bros.,  Boston?"  came  the  interrogatory, 
as  a  bright  smile  illumined  his  face.  uThe  same 
individual,  grown  a  little  older  and  a  little  grayer, 
that's  all;  but  still  following  in  the  same  line  of 
business,  since  the  time  we  both  went  coasting 
around  through  Blackwell  county,  thirty-odd  years 
ago;  you  as  Superintendent,  and  I,  with  satchel  in 
hand,  trying  to  persuade  the  trustees  to  part  with 
old  Noah  Webster's  Spelling-book  and  Pike's  old 
Arithmetic.  How  are  all  the  boys  flourishing 
anyway,  over  at  Shaky  Hollow  and  along  the 
Ridge?  Still  keep  the  Lyceum  alive?  and  are 
the  young  chaps  still  discussing  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  Bill,  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  and  hun- 


Book  Department  of  Institute.  155 

dreds  of  kindred  subjects  that  kept  the  young  folks 
from  deserting  the  old  homestead?" 

uOh,  glad  to  see  you  my  old  friend, "  replied 
Nicholas.  u  But  the  young  folks,  did  you  say? 
No,  it's  not  around  the  homestead  you'll  find  the 
young  men  nowadays:  and  there's  a  reason  for  it, 
that  you'll  soon  discover  if  you've  an  observing 
eye,  and  are  not  too  much  wrapped  up  in  the  new 
conditions  to  acknowledge  the  truth  when  you 
hear  it.  Yes,  yes,  there  have  been  many  changes 
throughout  Blackwell  county  since  you  were  an 
active  factor  in  the  agency  field,  but  there  aren't  as 
many  young  men  around  the  farms  nowadays  as 
thirty  years  ago.  Of  course,  the  first  break  oc- 
curred more  than  a  generation  ago;  but  as  the 
system  kept  growing  and  the  old  academic  institu- 
tions disappearing,  the  number  of  runaways  kept 
on  increasing,  so  that  at  the  present  day  there 
aren't  enough  hanging  around  to  keep  the  crops 
moving.  It's  the  plain  truth,  my  friend,  and  I'.ve 
been  preaching  it  to  the  young  men  for  a  good 
many  years.  (  Stick  to  the  old  plantation,  boys;' 
I'd  tell  them;  4  it'll  carry  you  through  life  with 
less  worry  of  mind  and  body  than  the  world  can 
give  in  any  other  place  or  at  any  other  calling.' 
You  see,  when  a  young  lad  nowadays  graduates 
over  at  the  Normal  school  in  all  the  scientific 
studies  that  the  new  system's  invented,  it  don't 
generally  take  more  than  a  week's  persuasion  to 
induce  the  old  gentleman  to  execute  a  mortgage, 


156  Nicholas  Comenius. 

sufficient  to  start  him  off  to  the  University.  Talk 
about  poverty  among  the  constituents  of  Blackwell 
county!  Why,  bless  me!  during  the  last  thirty 
years  I've  counted  no  less  than  threescore  of  these 
educated  professors  leaving  Emden  district  for  the 
law,  or  for  some  other  professional  calling.  And 
for  every  one  that's  deserted  the  farm  there's  been 
a  pretty  stiff  mortgage  entered  up  over  there  in  the 
Recorder's  office.  But,  confidentially  speaking, 
while  it's  no  reflection  on  the  institute,  it'll  never 
do  to  preach  it  round  in  open  meetings  among  the 
young  educators.  Here  my  friend,  is  a  case  in 
point  that  I've  no  objection  to  refer  to,  if  you  care 
to  listen  before  the  exercises  begin,"  continued 
Nicholas  Comenius,  as  he  braced  himself  against 
the  heavy  railing  for  support. 

"  As  there's  still  a  half  hour  before  train  time,  I 
shall  be  only  too  happy  to  listen,"  replied  Frank 
Reynolds,  as  he  shifted  his  position  to  let  a  stray 
absentee  pass. 

"Now,"  continued  Nicholas,  " there  was  old  Ike 
Smith's  boy  Tom,  and  a  right  sprightly  chap  was 
he;  but  the  young  teacher  kept  patting  him  on  the 
head  and  sending  word  to  the  old  man  that  his  boy 
Tom  was  never  born  to  be  a  farmer,  but  to  be 
President  some  day." 

uOh,  I  comprehend,"  was  Frank's  quick  reply. 

"Well,  this  so  inflated  the  old  man  with  new 
ideas  of  Tom's  future  greatness,  that  one  day  he 
mortgaged  the  best  farm  in  the  district,  and  sent 


Book  Department  of  Institute.          157 

him  off  to  the  University.  This  was  about  four 
years  ago,  and  since  then  what  was  left  of  the  old 
homestead  took  a  notion  to  pull  up  stakes  and 
follow  the  lad  to  keep  him  company.  From  that 
time  on,  Ike's  been  living  on  hope,  a  mighty  un- 
certain article  these  days.  Day  after  Thanksgiving 
last,  if  my  memory  serves  me  right,  Ike  received  a 
letter  from  the  President  of  the  Faculty,  and  when 
the  squire  read  it  to  him  and  his  neighbors,  who 
had  a  kindly  feeling  for  the  old  man,  that  Thomas 
Washington  Smith  had  been  elected  President  of 
the  'College  Base  Ball  Team'  and  needed  a  little 
more  ready  cash,  he  never  even  smiled,  but  kept 
looking  straight  through  the  window  over  at  the 
farm,  where  his  other  three  boys  were  doing  days' 
work  while  Tom  was  making  a  record  at  college." 
"True,  my  good  old  friend,  true  every  word. 
Seems  to  strike  pretty  close  to  home,  though;  for 
I've  wasted  a  mighty  comfortable  little  property 
in  that  direction  myself,  but  what  the  harvest's 
to  be  is  pretty  difficult  to  say,"  came  the  reply, 
with  a  shake  of  the  head,  as  Frank  Reynolds,  the 
old  school-book  agent,  gave  a  sigh  of  regret.  uBut 
how  is  old  Parson  Hoskins,  who  years  ago  dwelt  in 
the  ivy-covered  parsonage;  Squire  Benton,  who 
dealt  out  mercy  and  justice  in  his  rough  way  to  the 
denizens  of  Shaky  Hollow;  and  last,  though  not 
least,  old  Oscar  Bently,  the  host  of  the  General 
Washington,  and  Ebenezer  Lukins,  the  worthy 
President  of  Emden  School  Board?" 


158  Nicholas  Comenius. 

u  Sorry  to  say,  my  friend, "  was  the  reply  of 
Nicholas,  u  they're  all  keeping  company  with  Jim 
and  Tim,  the  old  schoolmasters,  over  in  the  little 
burying-ground  beside  the  moss-covered  church. 
And  besides,  there  isn't  a  single  director  living 
who  was  active  in  the  cause  when  you  were  operat- 
ing in  Blackwell  county." 

uYes,  there's  been  a  tremendous  change  in  the 
directorship  all  over  the  country,"  was  Frank's 
suggestive  response;  u younger  men  are  forging 
their  way  to  the  front,  who  are  susceptible  to  the 
same  influences  that  control  the  teacher's  profes- 
sion." 

"  A  little  too  much  extravagance  for  the  practical 
results  obtained,  you  perceive,  but  it  must  be 
spoken  in  a  whisper — never  do  to  attempt  to  speak 
your  mind  in  the  convention,"  replied  Nicholas, 
with  a  smile.  uWhat  in  the  early  days  were 
necessary  aids  to  the  young  teacher,  you  will  ob- 
serve during  recent  years  have  been  thrust  by  the 
wholesale  on  School  Boards.  It's  a  fact  worth 
thinking  about,"  he  continued,  as  he  kept  his  eye 
on  the  young  agents,  who  were  casting  sly  glances 
at  him.  "And  from  the  most  favorable  stand- 
point, primary  instruction,  the  great  bulk  of  these 
self-acting,  automatic  dispensers  of  knowledge — 
the  modern  charts — presuppose  the  teacher  to  be 
nothing  more  or  less  than  an  automatic  machine, 
capable  of  pressing  the  button  in  order  that  the 
light  of  two  centuries  may  be  visibly  reflected  back 


Book  Department  of  Institute,  159 

upon  the  mind  of  every  pupil  within  the  walls  of  a 
rural  school." 

"A  pretty  logical  conclusion/'  was  the  half- 
apologetic  response:  "and  proves  beyond  question 
that  you  have  kept  pace  with  the  current  events  of 
the  day." 

Then  Frank  Reynolds,  whose  firm  had  but  re- 
cently published  a  set  of  self-adjusting  charts, 
looked  at  his  watch,  shook  Nicholas  Comenius  by 
the  hand,  and  directed  his  way  towards  the  station. 

"True,  every  word,"  soliloquized  Frank,  as  he 
hurried  down  the  great  stone  steps.  * 4  Seems  these 
old-timers  can  see  further  into  the  new  conditions 
than  those  who  are  entrusted  with  the  education 
of  the  young.  But  who's  to  blame?  Certainly 
not  the  agent,  ner  the  publisher!  It's  the  short 
way  to  knowledge  the  public's  seeking,  and  any 
school-room  appliance  that'll  get  a  boy  there  in  the 
shortest  time  is  what  the  people  want.  If  one  set 
fails  to  bring  the  answer,  the  very  next  session  the 
Board' 11  be  casting  around  for  something  only  a 
little  more  costly.  Seems  to  be  a  trait  of  human 
nature  to  revel  among  the  theories  and  generalities, 
accepted  to-day  and  discarded  to-morrow,"  he  con- 
cluded, as  he  boarded  the  fast  express. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

INSTITUTE   IN   OPERATION — MODERN    ENTERPRISE 
VERSUS   OLD  FOGYISM. 

As  the  hand  of  the  court  house  clock  marks  the 
appointed  hour,  Nicholas  stands  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  room,  already  crowded  by  curious  spec- 
tators. For  a  long  time  after  the  devotional  exer- 
cises he  stands,  listening  to  the  singing  of  u  My 
Country  'Tis  of  Thee,"  and  to  an  ardent  speaker, 
who  is  talking  on  the  glories  of  popular  education 
and  the  rapid  strides  of  intellectual  progression. 
Presently  a  young  lady,  noticing  the  old  gentle- 
man, rises,  steps  over  to  his  side,  and  offers  him  her 
seat.  With  grateful  recognition  he  accepts,  and  all 
through  the  exercises  follows  the  proceedings  with 
unabated  interest.  But  who,  in  all  this  assembly, 
can  estimate  the  intensity  of  feeling  that  throbs 
within  the  bosom  of  Nicholas  Comenius,  as  his  eyes 
take  in  the  surrounding  mass  of  young  men  and 
women,  with  no  one  to  extend  the  hand  of  good 
fellowship  save  the  young  miss  whose  sweet  voice 
had  asked:  uAre  you  looking  for  a  seat,  my  aged 
friend?  Come,  and  I  will  give  you  mine."  And 
yet,  had  this  young  teacher,  if  such  she  were,  done 
ii  161 


1 62  Nicholas  Comenius. 

anything  more  than  what  common  politeness 
should  at  all  times  demand,  whether  in  a  conven- 
tion of  teachers  or  in  the  humblest  walks  of  life  ? 
Of  course,  for  the  moment,  many  eyes  were  turned 
from  the  speaker  toward  the  young  lady ;  but  how 
many  understood  the  purely  unselfish  motive  that 
prompted  the  act  ?  Were  there  not  ushers — active, 
intelligent  young  men — providing  seats,  here  and 
there,  for  the  strong  and  vigorous  ?  and  had  they 
simply  overlooked  the  aged  father  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  moment  ? 

"  A  very  gracious,  lady-like  act,"  I  remarked  to 
an  intelligent  young  teacher  beside  me. 

"  Rather  officious  on  her  part,  if  anything,"  was 
his  indifferent  response,  as  he  kept  his  eye  on  the 
speaker.  "The  fact  is,"  he  continued,  after  a 
moment's  hesitation,  by  way  of  gentle  rebuke  for 
our  implied  reflection  upon  the  stronger  sex,  "these 
old  folks  are  not  interested  particularly  in  the 
cause,  and  drop  in  on  the  institute  more  through 
curiosity  than  from  a  desire  to  give  encouragement 
to  the  proceedings. " 

"  Are  you  then,  acquainted  with  that  old  gentle- 
man?" I  ventured  to  ask. 

"Oh,  no.  He  is,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  olden-time 
educators  who  were  active  in  the  field  when  Nich- 
olas Comenius  had  charge  of  the  institute. " 

"Nicholas  Comenius?"  I  replied;  u seems  that 
name  is  not  altogether  unfamiliar.  Were  you  ac- 
quainted with  Nicholas?" 


UNIVEBSITY 
Institute  in  Operation.       ^f  c 

"  No,  never  remember  having  met  the  old  peda- 
gogue ;  but  IVe  heard  his  name  mentioned,  at 
times,  in  connection  with  the  proceedings.  Many 
amusing  incidents  are  going  the  rounds  of  the  pro- 
fession, as  to  the  way  he  ran  the  machine.  He 
was  set  in  his  ways,  and  couldn't  be  induced  to 
inaugurate  any  new  reforms." 

"Why,  wherein  did  his  methods  differ  from 
those  of  the  present  Superintendent  ?" 

"Differ?  why  bless  me,  there's  all  the  difference 
in  the  world  !  To  tell  the  truth,  Comenius  didn't 
run  the  institute  himself;  the  old  masters  ran  it 
for  him.  First  one  old  chap  would  stand  up  and 
give  his  experience  in  the  school-room ;  then 
another  would  read  an  essay  on  the  Practice  of 
Teaching,  that  had  taken  him  all  winter  to  pre- 
pare ;  then  one  after  another  would  rise  in  his  place 
and  discuss  its  merits.  After  this,  old  Nicholas 
would  divide  the  institute  into  more  than  a  dozen 
classes,  in  charge  of  the  best  masters  of  the  county." 

"  Not  an  unpractical  course  of  procedure,  by  any 
means,"  I  hinted. 

"No,  perhaps  not  at  that, early  day,"  was  his 
equivocal  response,  as  he  caught  the  eye  of  the 
Superintendent.  Following  the  line  of  thought, 
he  continued,  a  moment  later:  "It  was  rather  em- 
barassing,  though,  to  those  who  were  called  upon 
to  give  expression  to  their  own  views." 

"  Made  them  thoughtful  and  self-reliant,  and 
better  adapted  for  practical  work,"  I  suggested. 


164  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"  You  are  mistaken  in  your  premises,  stranger/' 
said  he,  with  eyes  riveted  on  the  speaker. 

A  moment  later,  and  while  the  audience  were 
singing  "  Columbia,  the  Gem  of  the  Ocean,"  he 
turned,  and  in  a  half-suspicious  manner  said  :  u  It 
is  useless  for  the  professional  teacher  to  do  what 
the  institute  pays  others  to  do  for  him.  Our 
worthy  Superintendent  has  entire  charge,  employs 
the  very  best  professional  services  he  can  com- 
mand, and  they  in  turn,  who  really  know  better 
the  wants  of  the  average  teacher  than  he  does  him- 
self, conduct  the  proceedings." 

u  A  logical,  well-digested  conclusion,  and  admir- 
ably put,"  was  our  unspoken  reflection,  as  we  be- 
held in  the  rear  of  the  room  the  stalwart  form  of 
Stephen  Smithers  leaning  against  the  wall. 

"  Ah,  how  many  times  have  I  looked  in  upon  a 
similar  body  of  educators  in  this  same  old  court 
room,  a  generation  ago,"  suggested  I,  to  a  promis- 
ing young  professional  gentleman  to  my  left,  who 
was  at  the  moment  engaged  in  humming  a  familiar 
air  from  an  institute  note-book,  provided  gratui- 
tously by  one  of  the  school-book  publishers. 

uBeen  a  teacher,  in  your  day?"  was  his  signifi- 
cent  question. 

"No,  not  exactly  a  teacher,  but  an  observer  of 
current  events,"  I  replied.  "  But  alas,  what  a  con- 
trast !  In  those  days  there  were  gray  hairs  ;  young 
and  middle-aged  men  and  women — all  engaged  in 
a  common  cause,  the  education  of  youth." 


Institute  in  Operation.  165 

"  True  enough,  old  man,"  came  a  home  thrust, 
that  made  our  own  few  hairs  rise  in  righteous 
indignation. 

"  Old  man?"  thought  I,  as  I  looked  around  for 
the  nearest  avenue  of  escape;  "  Old  man!"  why, 
bless  me !  and  still  on  the  sunny  side  of  fifty ! 
What  in  the  name  of  conscience  was  the  world 
coining  to,  any  way  ? 

"Gray  hairs,  then,"  I  said  aloud,  " are  in  these 
advanced  times  no  longer  commendable  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Superintendent  and  the  great  body  of 
teachers.  What  then  has  become  of  the  old  vet- 
erans, and  what  will  be  the  ultimate  fate  of  this 
great  body  of  educators,  when  they  shall  have 
reached  the  ldead  line/  so  to  speak?  Are  they 
to  be  retired  on  a  snug  pension,  as  a  reward  for 
past  services  and  a  protection  against  the  vicissi- 
tudes incident  to  declining  old  age?" 

"Never  reach  it,  my  friend." 

"  Ah,  friend,"  thought  I,  "that  sounds  better,  and 
doesn't  grate  so  harshly  on  the  sensitive  nerves." 

"  Experience,"  he  continued,  as  he  kept  time 
with  his  finger  to  the  music,  u  has  long  since 
taught  the  great  bulk  of  the  profession  the  danger 
of  steering  too  close  to  the  rapids.  Occasionally 
some  poor,  unfortunate  wayfarer,  with  his  whole 
soul  wrapped  up  in  the  cause,  may  continue  to 
hang  on  to  a  rural  school;  but  in  the  end  you'll 
find  him  twirling  round  in  the  whirlpool  of  de- 
spondency, with  none  to  do  him  reverence," 


1 66  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"  And  so  this,  then,  accounts  for  the  lack  of  gray 
hairs,  eh?" 

"  That's  about  the  size  of  it,"  was  his  parting 
salute,  as  he  joined  in  the  chorus  of  the  "  Hymn  of 
Thanksgiving." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  national  air,  a  well- 
dressed  gentleman  arose,  amid  tremendous  ap- 
plause. It  was  his  third  annual  visit  to  the  insti- 
tute. That  he  stood  at  the  head  of  one  of  the 
leading  institutions  of  pedagogics  may  be  assumed  ; 
for  in  presenting  his  name  to  the  Superintendent 
the  Literary  Bureau  had  taken  occasion  to  say: 
"The  distinguished  institute  instructor  whose 
name  we  have  the  honor  to  present  for  your  con- 
sideration, stands  foremost  among  the  literary 
personages  of  the  day.  In  the  science  underlying 
the  philosophy  of  our  modern  theory  and  methods 
of  teaching,  he  stands  without  a  rival.  In  the  ex- 
position of  ideal  truths,  in  the  diversity  and  unifi- 
cation of  methods,  and  in  the  elucidation  of  the 
various  teaching  processes,  you  will  find  him 
without  an  equal  in  the  broad  field  of  literary 
pursuits."  With  this  splendid  recommendation, 
known  only  to  the  Superintendentr  and  after  the 
rapturous  applause  had  subsided,  he  started  out  by 
saying : 

u  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  and  teachers  of  this 
grand  old  county,  it  becomes  my  pleasant  duty  to 
meet  with  you  once  again,  on  this  charming 
Thanksgiving  morning — this  festive  occasion. 


Institute  in  Operation.  1 67 

Having  lectured  before  nearly  every  teachers'  con- 
vention in  this  broad  Commonwealth,  I  am  but 
giving  expression  to  my  inmost  convictions  when  I 
say  that  this  immense  body  of  young  educators  is 
the  most  intelligent,  the  most  highly  cultured,  and 
altogether  the  most  attentive,  it  has  ever  been  my 
good  fortune  to  address.  And  as  to  your  most 
worthy  Superintendent,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  per- 
mit me  to  say,  preparatory  to  my  opening  address, 
that  in  all  respects  he  best  represents  the  vital,  un- 
derlying principles,  upon  which  rests  our  glorious 
free  school  system.  And  now,  fellow  teachers," 
said  he,  preparing  to  launch  forth  into  the  wide 
realm  of  unsettled  problems  and  unproven  theories, 
"as  the  teacher's  profession,  like  the  great  scientific 
world  at  large,  is  yearly  undergoing  many  radical 
changes,  it  may  be  necessary  for  the  speaker  to  re- 
verse himself  on  certain  very  essential  points,  as 
the  Honorable  Court  would  express  it  were  he 
occupying  the  bench  instead  of  myself."  (Con- 
tinued applause  and  clapping  of  hands.)  "  And 
now,  if  there  be  any  among  you,  my  young  friends, 
who  can  recall  any  one  of  the  half-dozen  proposi- 
tions laid  down  as  a  basis  in  my  talks  of  a  year  ago, 
I  shall  be  only  too  happy  to  have  him  rise  and 
do  so." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  appeal,  and  while  he 
stood  awaiting  a  reply  that  came  not,  a  buzz  of  ex- 
citement pervaded  the  entire  assembly.  The  young 
ladies  cast  wistful  glances  over  at  the  young  gentle- 


1 68  Nicholas  Comenius. 

men — all  endeavoring  to  recall  some  portion  of  the 
speaker's  remarks,  but  without  avail. 

"While  I  cannot  recall  any  portion,"  remarked 
one,  in  a  whisper,  "it  was,  nevertheless,  the  most 
delightful  talk  I  have  ever  listened  to." 

"Indeed,  it  fairly  sparkled  with  well-rounded 
metaphors,"  said  another. 

u  And  how  it  appealed  to  the  higher  attributes 
of  our  nature/'  chimed  in  a  third. 

uBut  while  I,  at  the  time,  was  charmed  by  the 
flights  of  eloquence,  I  must  confess,"  ventured  a 
timid  young  lady,  "  it  was  quite  beyond  my  com- 
prehension." 

And  so,  while  this  great  body  of  teachers  had  for 
the  moment  felt  the  force  of  an  inspiration  that 
seemed  to  thrill  their  very  natures,  there  had  been 
little  or  nothing  in  the  talks  that  the  average 
teacher  could  retain  for  practical  use  in  the  school 
room. 

After  a  few  remarks  in  which  the  last  speaker 
on  the  programme  paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  the 
old  flag  and  thanked  an  all-wise  Providence  for  the 
bounteous  blessings  which  this  beautiful  Thanks- 
giving had  brought  to  one  and  all,  a  messenger 
forced  his  way  to  the  front  and  handed  the  Super- 
intendent a  sealed  note.  After  scrutinizing  its 
contents,  he  turned  and  said  :  "It  is  to  be  regretted 
exceedingly  that  the  request  of  my  legal  friend  can 
not  be  complied  with,  for  the  reason  that  any 
departure  from  the  pre-arranged  programme  could 


Institute  in  Operation.  1 69 

only  result  in  the  disarranging  of  the  entire  week's 
proceedings." 

And  so  with  a  tap  of  the  bell  ended  the  first 
Thanksgiving  session  of  Blackwell  County  Teach- 
ers' Institute.  Ended,  to  the  relief  of  the  hun- 
dreds of  patient,  earnest  workers,  who  for  three 
long  hours  had  endured  the  stifling  air  of  a  poorly- 
ventilated  court  room. 

"  Rather  tiresome,"  I  suggested  to  a  modest- 
looking  lady,  whose  pallid  cheeks  and  frail  form 
bore  the  imprint  of  earnest,  conscientious  work  in 
the  school-room. 

"  Yes,"  was  her  reply  :  "  it's  awfully  tiresome  to 
be  compelled  to  sit  daily  for  six  long  hours  in  this 
place  and  on  the  hard  benches  that  may  answer  for 
witnesses  and  jurymen,  but  are  scarcely  in  keeping 
with  the  conditions  of  a  teachers'  institute." 

Was  the  Superintendent,  who  was  at  this  mo- 
ment surrounded  by  a  number  of  leading  citizens 
of  the  town,  eager  to  compliment  him,  altogether 
responsible  for  the  conditions  that  prevailed  ?  He 
was  simply  the  exponent  of  misdirected  public 
opinion.  Having  direct  charge  of  a  great  body  of 
mostly  young  and  inexperienced  teachers,  he  was 
trying  to  direct  it  along  the  placid  stream  to  the 
fountain  head  of  knowledge.  Was  his  institute  a 
success?  Yes,  in  the  highest  degree;  for  had  not 
the  very  highest  authority,  the  Department  of 
Public  Instruction,  publicly  pronounced  it  such? 
And  were  there  not,  at  this  very  moment,  a  score 


170  Nicholas  Comenius. 

or  more  in  waiting  to  shake  him  by  the  hand, 
ready  to  congratulate  him  on  the  attention  and 
splendid  order  maintained?  In  fact,  had  not  the 
young  judge  of  the  court  said  only  a  moment  be- 
fore, "  Professor,  your  institute  has  proven  a 
wonderful  success  ;  growing  better  every  year." 
And  when  the  Superintendent  blushed  and  said, 
"Judge,  do  you  mean  it?"  had  he  not  replied, 
"  Of  course  I  do  ! — most  undoubtedly  ;  and  none 
but  an  old  fogy  would  pronounce  it  otherwise !  " 

And  who  in  all  this  vast  assembly,  in  the  closing 
years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  would  submit  to 
being  called  an  old  fogy  ?  To  be  termed  a  school- 
master or  a  schoolma'am  might  be  tolerated — but 
to  be  designated  an  uold  fogy,"  never! 

Old  fogy  ism  in  the  teacher's  profession  of  Black- 
well  county?  Why,  the  term  is  as  obsolete  as 
Pike's  Arithmetic,  or  the  double  rule  of  three.  In- 
deed, there  is  so  little  of  the  old  to  be  found  among 
the  new  conditions,  that  it  is  almost  as  difficult  to 
determine  how,  when  or  whence  came  the  system, 
as  to  predict  whither  we  are  drifting,  or  where  we 
shall  ultimately  arrive.  But  who  among  all  the 
young  educators  of  Blackwell  county  particularly 
cares  whether  the  common  school  system  ever  had 
a  beginning  or  whether  it  shall  ever  have  an  end, 
so  long  as  the  enthusiasm  holds  out  and  the  tax- 
payer stands  ready  to  provide  the  means  ?  Where 
among  the  rank  and  file  can  one  be  found  who  has 
the  moral  fortitude  to  stand  before  this  great  body 


Old  Fogyism  ?  )  7 1 

of  teachers  and  incur  the  odium  of  being  called  an 
"  old  fogy?"  He  may  have  his  own  convictions, 
may  possibly  have  lived  long  enough  to  see  the  last 
swing  of  the  educational  pendulum  in  the  direction 
of  abstract  theories  and  extravagant  tendencies. 
He  may  have  studied  the  significant  lesson,  felt  the 
pressure  of  methods  and  devices,  aids  and  appli- 
ances: but  could  he  afford  to -run  counter  to  that 
so-called  larger  faith  that  emanates  directly  from 
the  teachers'  institute  ? 

Happily  for  the  young  executive  officer,  the  day 
of  old  fogyism  has  passed  away  with  the  last  old 
master  from  the  old  log  school-house  by  the  way- 
side. And  who  mourns  either  for  the  old  school- 
master, the  old  schooi-ma'am,  or  the  old  school- 
house?  Who  longs  for  the  old  text-books,  the 
birch  rod,  and  the  old  methods?  But  following 
these,  the  capacious  playground,  the  old  games  and 
pastimes,  are  fast  disappearing  from  the  rural 
school,  and  the  narrow  basement  of  the  modernly 
equipped  house  is  set  apart  for  the  physical  culture 
of  the  young.  Our  tender  offspring  must  be  nursed 
in  these  hot-houses  and  nourished  on  a  concoction 
of  physiology  and  hygiene,  which  the  state  has  so 
liberally  provided  as  a  panacea  for  all  the  ills  and 
shortcomings  of  their  young  nature. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  young  teacher,  a  pro- 
duct of  the  nursery  of  the  Normal  school,  is  often- 
times feeble  in  both  mind  and  body,  and  yet 
possessing  enough  stock  in  trade  to  command  a 


172  Nicholas  Comenius. 

fair  position  and  a  reasonable  salary  before  he  has 
passed  beyond  his  teens.  By  a  little  judicious  tact 
and  u  enterprise, "  he  not  infrequently  manages  to 
secure  the  choice  of  several  positions  during  a 
single  year,  while  he  is  scarcely  able  to  fill  either 
with  entire  satisfaction.  Of  course  these  are  ex- 
ceptional conditions,  and  have  no  reference  to  that 
large  and  respectable  body  of  enthusiastic  instruc- 
tors who  now  possess  the  land. 

"Well,"  thought  I,  as  the  crowd  began  to  dis- 
perse, "  this  is  truly  a  modern  teachers'  institute,  j 
with  few  of  the  older  customs  and  ideas  that  per- 
vaded the  ranks  of  the  profession  when  Nicholas 
Comenitis  held  the  official  reins  of  government." 
And  as  I  joined  the  young  and  happy  throng  pass- 
ing down  the  winding  stairs  and  into  the  outer 
world,  I  naturally  fell  into  a  reflective  frame  of 
mind.  Yes,  the  boys  may  cheer  the  old  flag,  but 
who  ever  hears  them  cheer  the  old  sun-burnt  vet- 
eran who  patriotically  bears  the  flag-staff?  They 
may  hurrah  for  the  Fourth  of  July,  celebrating 
each  incoming  anniversary  with  fire-crackers,  but 
how  many  can  repeat  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, or  care  to  study  its  suggestive  meaning? 
What  a  long  line  of  hallowed  traditions  yearly 
cluster  around  Christmas  day;  but  how  many  of  our 
boys  and  girls  are  taught  to  revere  its  sacred  asso- 
ciations? It  too,  with  its  old-time  child-like  sim- 
plicity, has  grown  out  of  date,  and  a  new  Christmas, 
with  all  its  accompanying  extravagant  tendencies, 


Old  Fogyism  $  173 

has  taken  its  place.  Thanksgiving,  with  its  boun- 
teous harvest,  comes  once  a  year  to  rich  and  poor, 
to  young  and  old ;  but  apart  from  its  festivities  and 
pleasures,  how  many  are  taught  to  remember  with 
gratitude  Him  from  whom  every  good  thing  com- 
eth?  New  Year's  day  comes  with  its  hopes  and 
anticipations,  but  the  old  year  cannot  be  too  soon 
forgotten,  and  the  good  resolutions  of  the  day  share 
the  same  fate.  Eastertide,  commemorative  of  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  Resurrection — the  harbinger  of 
spring,  with  its  fragrant  lilies  and  its  richly-colored 
eggs — soon  follows  the  Christmas-tide,  only  to  be 
forgotten  before  the  sun  goes  down. 

The  same  careless  disregard  of  the  past  runs  all 
through  our  modern  life.  Books  of  historic  value 
are  sold  to  the  junk-dealer,  while  shelves  are  piled 
with  trashy  literature  bound  in  finest  morocco. 
The  old  homestead  with  its  many  time-scarred  im- 
prints disappears,  and  with  it  the  antiquated  furni- 
ture, save  perhaps  the  old  (  grandfather's  clock,' 
and  even  this  old  monitor  can  scarcely  be  distin- 
guished from  the  modern  imitations.  Old  associ- 
ations of  a  life-time  are  severed  for  newer  acquain- 
tances without  the  slightest  compunction.  Indeed, 
so  gradually  and  imperceptibly  have  old  habits 
and  customs,  as  well  as  many  an  old  landmark, 
passed  from  the  world  about  us,  that  they  are  as 
little  missed,  possibly,  as  was  the  last  of  the  sturdy 
oaks  that  clustered  around  the  old  farm-house  of 
our  boyhood  days.  And  yet  can  we  or  should  we 


174  Nicholas  Comenius. 

forget  how  during  the  long  years  it  protected  the 
old  homestead  from  the  wintry  blasts,  and  that 
beneath  its  clustering  branches  we  spent  many 
joyful  hours  of  early  childhood?  But  that  mon- 
arch of  the  forest  has  fallen  before  the  woodman's 
axe,  notwithstanding  the  admonition  of  the  poet, 

"  Woodman,  spare  that  tree ! 
Touch  not  a  single  bough, 


o  o 

In  youth  it  sheltered  me 
And  I'll  protect  it  now." 


It  is  true  the  old  oaken  bucket  and  the  old  town 
pump  have  been  enbalmed  by  the  poet  in  letters 
of  gold ;  but  as  the  well  has  long  since  run  dry, 
who  now  cares  for  either?  The  old  wine  in  the 
cellar,  perhaps,  is  guarded  with  a  sparing  hand, 
while  the  old  grandfather  sits  alone  in  the  sitting- 
room  above,  perchance,  neglected  and  almost  for- 
gotten. With  equal  force  may  it  not  be  said,  that 
the  old  Bible  is  being  cast  aside  as  too  antiquated 
to  satisfy  the  craving  propensity  for  our  cheap 
latter-day  literature  ?  And  have  not  many  of  our 
text-books,  and  notably  our  modern  series  of  Read- 
ers, fallen  from  grace,  so  to  speak?  Do  they  not 
partake  of  a  grade  and  quality  of  literature  that 
could  not  have  gained  a  foothold  in  the  schools  of 
the  land  forty  years  ago  ?  Or  am  I  simply  clamor- 
ing for  the  reinstatement  of  old  fogyism,  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  mistaken  judgment  of  the  olden 
times? 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  OLD  DIRECTOR  AND  THE  NEW — "  UNCLE 

SOL"  MCMURDY  AND  SAM  JONES,  M.  D. — 

SCHOOL  BOARD  TACTICS. 

EVERY  department  of  the  educational  system  is 
included  in  the  crusade  against  "old  fogyism." 
The  sturdy  old  school  director,  who  is  perhaps  un- 
able to  repeat  all  the  branches  of  the  school-room 
curriculum  in  their  regular  order,  and  who  occa- 
sionally shakes  his  head  when  a  new  branch  is 
added,  is  being  rapidly  eliminated. 

"He  has  become  too  old  to  keep  up  with  the 
educational  procession, "  jocularly  suggested  one 
young  lady  teacher  to  another,  as  they  stood  com- 
menting on  the  changes  that  had  taken  place  in 
the  schools  of  Blackwell  county  during  the  year 
previous.  "  Served  twenty-seven  years,  and  never 
missed  a  meeting  of  the  board." 

"Who?"  came  the  quick  response. 

"Why,  old  Solomon  McMurdy,  or  4 Uncle  Sol,' 
as  he  is  familiarly  known  to  every  boy  and  girl  in 
the  district." 

"  Progressive?" 

"Never  had  a  director  that  was  more  so,  and  as 

175 


176  Nicholas  Comenius. 

honest  and  reliable  as  his  old  time-piece  ;  but  you 
see,  he  didn't  take  kindly  to  some  of  the  latest  in- 
novations, especially  physiology  and  hygiene  and 
the  military  drills.  Thought  there  ought  to  be 
more  attention  given  to  reading,  spelling,  arith- 
metic, and  an  occasional  lesson  in  book-keeping, 
instead  of  wasting  so  much  time  on  theory  and 
philosophy  of  teaching.  Yes,  the  old  man  had  to 
succumb  to  the  march  of  events,  but  it's  been  a 
blessed  thing  for  the  whole  district. " 

"Longer  term  and  an  increase  of  salary  followed 
of  course, "  suggested  the  other. 

u  No;  salary  and  term  the  same.  Old  Sol,  you 
see,  had  arranged  for  the  longest  term  and  the  high- 
est salary  the  year  previous." 

"Well,  in  what  way  then  was  his  loss  a  gain?" 
was  the  natural  question. 

"In  more  ways  than  one,"  continued  the  other, 
in  a  confidential  tone.  "You  see,  while  the  old 
man  visited  the  schools  regularly  once  a  month, 
he  couldn't  make  a  speech  to  save  his  life  ;  and 
when  he  undertook  to  express  himself,  his  lan- 
guage was  so  full  of  grammatical  errors  that  many 
of  the  larger  pupils  began  to  notice  them.  Then 
he  often  came  into  the  school-room  without  the 
slightest  warning  to  the  teacher;  was  rather  un- 
couth in  his  manners,  blunt  and  outspoken  in  his 
expressions.  Just  think  of  it,  girls  !  For  a  broken 
window-pane  or  the  slightest  injury  to  one  of  the 
young  trees,  he'd  call  the  offenders  up  and  lecture 


Old  Director  and  New.  177 

them  before  the  entire  school  ;  and  this,  of  course, 
didn't  suit  the  parents.  And  yet,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, Uncle  Sol,  while  a  man  of  few  words,  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  board." 

u  Any  improvement  in  the  new  director ?"  asked 
one. 

^Improvement?  well,  I  should  rather  conclude 
there  is,  and  in  the  proper  direction  at  that — in 
fact,  old  Sol's  successor  is  a  young  physician,  who 
was  a  teacher  for  a  term  or  two,  is  somewhat  of  a 
local  politician,  and  a  warm  personal  friend  of  the 
Superintendent's,  whose  election  was  secured 
largely  through  his  instrumentality.  These  influ- 
ences always  count,  you  know,  at  the  examination." 

uOf  course  they  do,"  suggested  another  young 
miss,  whose  brother  was  president  of  the  board. 
u  I  want  to  bear  witness,"  she  added,  with  a  smile, 
u  to  the  standing  of  the  doctor.  He  is  so  polished 
in  his  manners,  and  so  exquisitely  polite  when  he 
enters  the  school  room  ;  and  his  well-rounded  sen- 
tences are  perfectly  charming!  Besides,  under  his 
directorship  each  school  has  been  furnished  with 
a  fifty-dollar  set  of  Astronomical  Charts  and  a 
Manual  on  Military  Tactics — essentials  that  old 
Sol  couldn't  be  induced  to  purchase." 

By  this  time  a  number  of  teachers  had  joined  the 
group,  and  the  discussion,  if  such  it  may  be  called, 
ranged  all  along  the  line  of  advanced  ideas.  "But 
the  tax-payer  may  eventually  object,"  remarked  one 
who  had  up  to  this  time  been  discreetly  silent. 
12 


178  Nicholas  Comemus. 

u  The  tax-payer  !"  answered  a  half  dozen  voices: 
"  There  it  is  again! — the  old  fogy  cry  of  'tax- 
payer/ that's  been  heard  at  every  institute  for  the 
last  thirty  years. " 

And  another  took  up  the  word  :  "  I  tell  you,  ray 
friends,  it's  not  the  tax-payer  that  supplies  the 
revenue,  but  the  State  :  and  the  eleven  million 
dollars  voted  biennially  by  the  Legislature,  the 
doctor  claims,  should  be  applied  to  whatever  the 
Board  may  determine,  independent  of  the  tax- 
payer. On  this  point  Doctor  Jones  is  as  level- 
headed as  he  is  on  all  other  questions.  These  are 
my  sentiments,  ladies." 

"And  mine,"  "And  mine,"  came  several  re- 
plies, with  nodding  of  heads. 

"But  where  does  the  Superintendent  stand  on 
this  question  ?' '  inquired  one  whose  actions  were 
at  all  times  in  harmony  with  those  of  that  import- 
ant functionary. 

"  Oh,  that  is  rather  a  close  question  to  be  asking 
in  a  promiscuous  gathering ;  and  hardly  permissi- 
ble at  this  time,  with  the  triennial  election  so  near 
at  hand,"  was  the  cautious  reply.  "  The  Superin- 
tendent, you  see,  must  be  very  judicious  and  con- 
siderate in  his  expressions — must  adapt  himself  to 
local  conditions.  Among  the  old-fogy  directors, 
he  is  extremely  cautious  and  politic ;  knows  what 
to  say  and  how  to  say  it,  and  in  that  way  manages 
to  maintain  his  official  standing."  And  with  this 
the  little  group  broke  up,  and  my  attention  was 


Sam  Jones,  M.  D.  \  79 

attracted  by  a  pleasant  voice  at  the  opposite  side 
of  the  corridor. 

"  Suppose  we  take  a  look  in  at  the  Directors' 
Convention ;  there  are  still  a  few  moments  before 
adjournment, "  one  young  lady  teacher  was  saying 
to  a  half  dozen  others,  as  they  passed  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  lower  court  room. 

uYes,  girls;  come  this  way,  and  follow  your 
leader,''  came  the  familiar  voice  of  one  whom  they 
recognized  as  the  young  physician  previously  re- 
ferred to  as  the  successor  of  old  Sol  McMurdy,  who 
with  report  in  hand  was  passing  from  a  committee 
room  to  the  convention,  to  present  the  same  before 
the  hour  for  adjournment  arrived.  Young  in 
years  but  old  in  experience  was  the  irrepressible 
Sam  Jones,  M.  D.  With  a  tremendous  responsi- 
bility resting  upon  his  individual  shoulders ;  with 
the  determination  to  accomplish  in  one  short  term 
of  three  years  what  had  taken  others  half  a  life- 
time ;  with  an  enthusiasm  that  overleapt  the 
bounds  of  prudence  and  discretion,  this  champion 
of  the  new  dispensation  smilingly  remarked,  as  he 
waved  his  report  over  his  head  : 

u  If  this  goes  through  without  a  mishap,  girls,  it 
will  be  the  grandest  event  in  the  educational  his- 
tory of  Blackwell  county,  since  the  inauguration 
of  the  common  school  system  itself.  Think  of  a 
ten  months'  term  and  an  average  salary  of  a  round 
one  hundred  dollars  per  month,  and  no  deduction 
for  lost  time  either !  How  does  such  a  report 


i8o  Nicholas  Contemns. 

strike  you,  girls — with  a  school  library  and  a  full 
set  of  automatic,  self-adjusting  charts  in  each 
school  in  Blackwell  county  ?"  continued  this  en- 
thusiastic director,  as  he  waved  his  paper  right 
and  left  to  emphasize  the  important  victory  he  had 
just  achieved  in  committee.  "  Only  needs  a  little 
determination  and  self-assurance  to  revolutionize 
the  entire  educational  system,  and  place  it  where 
it  properly  belongs — under  the  direct  control  of  the 
State  Legislature,  where  our  forefathers  intended 
it  should  rest.n 

uOh,  doctor!  it's  awfully  considerate  in  you," 
chimed  in  a  half  dozen  voices. 

"Don't  mention  it,  girls;  it's  only  a  duty  the 
doctor  owes  to  the  rising  generation.  Some  one, 
you  see,  must  lead  off  in  these  very  essential  re- 
forms ;  otherwise  the  entire  fabric  would  soon  fall 
into  c innocuous  desuetude.'  Never  do  to  trust 
these  necessary  reforms  to  the  old  fogy  tax-payers! 
In  fact,  my  friends,  it's  no  longer  a  question  of 
local  taxation,  for  this  report  presupposes  the  State 
shall  provide  the  means  and  foot  the  bills.  There's 
an  old  song  my  father  used  to  sing  years  ago,  en- 
titled, l  Uncle  Sam  is  rich  enough  to  give  us  all  a 
farm.'  We'll  change  the  wording  of  that  old  song, 
girls,  and  make  it  read:  '  This  grand  old  State  is 
rich  enough  to  build  and  run  the  schools.'  There'll 
be  pretty  lively  times,  girls,  when  the  institutes 
throughout  the  State  get  to  whooping  up  that 
song  !  It'll  spread  like  wildfire  into  the  very  halls 


Sam  Jones,  M.  D.  181 

of  legislation,  for  if  there's  any  one  thing  calcu- 
lated to  stir  the  members  to  action,  it's  a  good 
song." 

"But  my  dear  doctor!  is  there  no  possibility  of 
the  report  being  defeated  in  convention  ?"  sug- 
gested one,  more  thoughtful  than  the  others. 

"  Defeated?  Oh,  no!  It  may  meet  with  some 
opposition,  as  it  did  in  committee,  where  the  only 
vote  recorded  against  it  came  from  the  doctor;  but 
it'll  go  through  all  the  same,  and  be  referred  to 
the  Legislative  Committee,  the  chairmanship  of 
which  I  was  compelled  to  accept,  against  my  earn- 
est protest." 

"Why,  doctor! — oppose  your  own  report?"  came 
the  startled  rejoinder. 

"Yes,  opposed  it  in  the  interest  of  the  cause." 
Then,  more  confidentially,  he  continued:  "Oppo-- 
sition,  at  times,  is  a  most  potent  weapon — as  was 
best  illustrated  in  the  purchase  of  the  nineteen  sets 
of  Astronomical  charts,  a  short  time  ago,  when  the 
only  dissenting  vote  was  that  of  Jones." 

"Your  own  vote?  Why  doctor,  it  isn't  pos- 
sible!" 

"Yes,  yes;  all  things  are  possible  in  these  de- 
generate days,"  chuckled  the  young  practitioner, 
growing  more  communicative,  as  was  his  custom 
when  in  the  presence  of  the  gentler  sex — "  the 
truth  is,  few  fully  comprehend  the  modus  operandi 
of  running  a  school  board  or  a  directors'  conven- 
tion, >3ame,  you  see,  as  maneuvering  a  political 


1 82  Nicholas  Comenius. 

meeting,  only  on  a  smaller  scale;  both  requiring 
knowledge  of  parliamentary  tactics,  a  little  politi- 
cal sagacity,  and  an  intuitive  knowledge  of  the 
weakness  of  human  nature.  Hence  all  that's  nec- 
essary is  to  have  a  half  dozen  well-defined  speeches, 
pro  and  con,  cut  and  dried  for  the  occasion.  A 
good  speech,  abounding  in  well-rounded  adjec- 
tives, descriptive  of  our  glorious  free  school  sys- 
tem, and  delivered  in  a  commanding  tone  of  voice, 
is  morally  sure  to  overawe  and  intimidate  the 
weak  and  unreflecting,  and  strengthen  the  side  of 
the  speaker." 

"But  doctor,  as  you  are  generally  credited  by 
the  tax-payers  with  the  responsibility  for  having 
expended  over  a  thousand  dollars  for  those  charts, 
which  are  considered  by  many  of  our  teachers 
worthless,  some  explanation  may  be  necessary  on 
your  part  to  disabuse  the  average  mind,"  came  the 
friendly  suggestion. 

"Ah,  girls,"  ironically  smiled  the  young  phy- 
sician; "another  proof  that  it  isn't  always  neces- 
sary to  advocate  a  measure  to  secure  success.  It 
all  occurred  in  a  way  you'd  never  have  dreamed  of. 
See,  when  the  young  agent  reached  the  office  he 
was  all  broken  up  over  his  cold  reception  else- 
where. 

"'Been  interviewing  the  other  members,'  I 
asked?  'Yes,'  he  replied,  with  a  doleful  shake  of 
the  head.  'Well,  with  what  success?'  'Sworn 
to  oppose  any  measure  advocated  by  young  Doc, 


Sam  Jones,  M.  D.  183 

Jones/  was  the  reply.  i  Did  I  ever  promise  to  vote 
for  your  charts,  young  man?'  'No!  but' —  'Well, 
go  and  tell  the  other  members  that  Doctor  Jones 
will  be  oil  hand  at  the  meeting  this  very  evening, 
and  will  have  something  to  say  on  the  chart  ques- 
tion— and  don't  show  yourself  in  the  doctor's  pres- 
ence until  the  meeting's  over. '  Pretty  good  advice, 
eh?  So,  when  I  reached  the  school,  there  stood 
the  agent  explaining  the  chart,  and  there  sat  the 
five  directors,  looking  at  the  moon  and  stars  and 
figuring  up  the  cost.  '  It's  a  little  too  far  advanced 
and  too  costly  for  the  rural  school,'  I  suggested  as 
a  feeler,  'and  furthermore,  it  isn't  practical  econ- 
omy to  go  into  the  chart  business  when  so  many 
other  more  desirable  appliances  are  absolutely  nec- 
essary. I  would  therefore  move,  Mr.  Chairman, 
that  the  purchase  of  these  charts  be  indefinitely 
deferred.'  '  Mr.  Chairman! — I  say  Mr.  Chairman! 
What  I  want  the  Chair  to  decide  is,  whether  this 
young  fledgling  of  a  doctor  is  to  run  this  school 
board  ?  I  would  therefore  move,  Mr.  Chairman,  to 
amend  the  motion  of  the  gentleman — that  the 
President  be  authorized  to  purchase  one  chart  for 
each  of  the  nineteen  schools,'  said  Patrick  McGal- 
lagher,  with  a  flourish  of  his  long  brawny  arm. 
4  And  I  would  second  the  motion,  Mr.  Chairman,' 
came  the  voice  of  a  colleague.  '  One  word  more, 
Mr.  Chairman,'  I  interposed;  'if  this  motion  pre- 
vails, I  shall  most  certainly  appeal  to  the  court  for 
an  injunction  to  restrain  the  President  from  draw- 


184  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ing  his  warrant. '  (  L,et  him  proceed  to  restrain, 
Mr.  Chairman:  it's  the  motion  that's  in  order  first, 
and  the  injunction  at  another  time,'  retorted 
McGallagher." 

u  And  did  the  measure  pass?" 

"Why  bless  me,"  he  exclaimed,  in  an  ecstasy  of 
delight — "pass?  Better  believe  it  passed,  and  by 
a  unanimous  vote  at  that.  It  wasn't  the  doctor 
that  was  going  to  .get  left;  so  before  the  result  was 
announced,  I  rose  and  said,  '  Mr.  Chairman,  in 
order  that  the  action  of  the  board  may  be  entirely 
harmonious,  I  would  move  to  make  the  adoption 
unanimous.'  " 

At  this  juncture  the  door  of  the  Directors'  room 
suddenly  opened,  and  from  within  came  a  voice 
that  attracted  the  attention  of  the  little  circle  of 
teachers:  "Your  report,  Mr.  Chairman,  please: 
the  Convention's  ready  to  receive  it." 

"Oh!  hope  you'll  excuse  me,  young  ladies: 
almost  lost  sight  of  the  convention  and  the  report" 

And  so,  tipping  his  hat  to  one  and  all,  he  grace- 
fully bowed  his  way  into  the  crowded  assembly  of 
the  patient,  law-abiding  school  officials  of  Black- 
well  county. 

A  half  hour  later,  as  one  after  another  filed  out 
of  the  dingy  court  room,  I  stepped  up  and  asked  a 
conscientious-looking,  middle-aged  gentleman ; 
"Adopt  the  report,  eh?" 

"Oh,  yes;  couldn't  well  do  anything  else  after 
that  great  speech  of  Dr.  Jones, ' ' 


Sam  Jones,  M.  D.  185 

"  Ten  months'  school  term  and  a  hundred  dollars 
per  month  salary!  Pretty  steep,  isn't  it,  for  Black- 
well  county?" 

"Oh,  it  makes  no  difference  to  the  tax-payer! 
See,  the  doctor  had  it  all  figured  out  how  the  State 
Legislature's  to  supply  the  money  to  run  the 
schools,"  was  his  reply. 

"  But  where  is  the  State  to  get  the  money  where- 
with to  run  the  schools?" 

u  Never  thought  of  that,"  came  the  hesitating 
answer,  with  a  doleful  shake  of  the  head. 

And  so  this  vivacious  young  director,  serving 
the  second  year  of  his  first  term,  had  bamboozled 
the  sturdy  old  farmers  into  the  belief  that  the  State 
is  great  enough,  rich  enough  and  willing  enough 
to  build  and  furnish  all  the  school-houses  in  Black- 
well  county,  to  the  absolute  relief  of  the  tax-payers! 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   NEW   ERA   IN  THE   CITY  SCHOOLS. 

u  PAR.DON  me,  my  friend,  but  can  you  give  me 
the  name  of  the  gentleman  who  occupied  the  seat 
directly  to  the  right  of  the  Superintendent  during 
the  morning's  exercises  ?"  I  asked  of  a  middle-aged 
teacher,  as  we  went  strolling  along  one  of  the  lead- 
ing thoroughfares  of  the  town,  immediately  after 
adjournment 

"He,"  replied  the  teacher,  uis  the  Superintend- 
ent of  our  city  schools,  and  our  first  vice-president. " 

"  He  seems  somewhat  disinclined  to  move  along 
in  perfect  harmony  with  the  educational  procession 
of  the  institute,"  I  ventured  the  further  remark. 

"That  is  easily  accounted  for,"  was  his  prompt 
reply;  "you  see,  the  city  school  system,  in  the 
estimation  of  both  the  Board  of  Control  and  the 
Superintendent,  is  far  in  advance  of  the  rural 
schools,  and  we  city  teachers  are  supposed  to  gain 
very  little  from  these  annual  conclaves  of  the 
country  teachers." 

"It  is  a  remarkable  coincidence,"  I  replied, 
"  that  while  every  city  in  the  Commonwealth  is  so 
directly  connected  with  the  county  in  business  a,nd 
186 


New  Era  in  City  Schools.  187 

commercial  relations,  there  should  be  such  diversity 
of  sentiment  with  reference  to  active  co-operation 
in  the  matter  of  popular  education.  Do  not  these 
two  active  forces,  the  City  and  the  County  Super- 
intendent, operate  along  parallel  lines  of  advanced 
thought  ?" 

"No,"  was  the  reply;  "the  city  schools  are 
supposed  to  have  reached  the  summit  years  ago, 
and  until  the  rural  schools  shall  have  struggled  up 
the  mountain  side,  intellectually  speaking,  and 
placed  themselves  on  the  city  level,  there  is  no 
advantage  in  our  mingling  with  the  rural  peda- 
gogues. Understand  me,  I  do  not  say  this  is  my 
personal  view,  but  the  professional  opinion,  as  de- 
rived from  my  frequent  association  with  the  various 
Superintendents.  I  have  been  principal  of  a  gram- 
mar school  for  many  years,  and  at  each  recurring 
county  teachers'  convention  I  find  many  valuable 
aids  and  suggestions  for  my  work  in  the  class- 
room ;  but  unless  they  are  in  strict  conformity 
with  the  ideas  enunciated  by  our  City  Superin- 
tendent, there  is  absolutely  no  avenue  open  through 
which  the  individuality  of  the  teacher  can  be 
brought  into  active  co-operation  with  that  of  the 
pupil.  Our  system  is  as  perfect  and  as  well- 
adjusted  in  its  various  departments  as  the  phono- 
graph, so  that  by  pressing  a  button  in  the  office  of 
the  Superintendent,  each  and  every  section  moves 
with  the  precision  of  well-adjusted  mechanism." 

"Then  your  schools  have  reached  perfection?" 


1 88  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"No,  not  by  any  means.  On  the  contrary,  I 
know  that  there  are  lamentable  defects  in  the  city 
school  system,  and  if  permissible,  let  me  point  out 
some  of  the  bad  features.  In  the  first  place,  there 
is  too  much  of  the  cramming — too  much  of  the 
sieve  process;  this  everlasting  pouring  in  one  day 
and  drawing  out  the  next,  which  has  proven  a 
severe  strain  and  drain  on  the  grammar  school  and 
primary  teachers,  as  well  as  on  the  minds  of  the 
boys  and  girls/' 

u  But  have  you  not  followed  the  annual  reports 
of  the  various  City  and  County  Superintendents  to 
the  Department  of  Public  Instruction;  and  have 
you  not  noticed  the  wonderful  wisdom  and  enthu- 
siasm displayed  in  these  yearly  messages  ?" 

"  Followed  them?  of  course  I  have.  These 
stereotyped  reports  reach  the  Department  once 
a  year,  are  alphabetically  arranged,  handsomely 
bound  and  distributed  to  the  various  Superintend- 
ents for  circulation,  at  great  expense ;  but  wherein 
does  one  differ  from  another,  except  possibly  in  the 
first  year's  report  of  some  newly-elected  official, 
whose  standing  at  the  fountain-head  is  largely  de- 
pendent upon  the  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  dis- 
played in  covering  the  whole  educational  field, 
from  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the  system  to  the 
present  day?  He  generally  starts  out  by  saying : 

"  c  Since  my  own  election  to  the  important  office 
of  Superintendent  of  schools,  so  long  presided  over 
by  one  whom  some  are  pleased  to  designate  as  my 


New  Era  in  City  Schools.  1 89 

old-fogy  predecessor,  I  have  visited  every  portion 
of  this  great  and  growing  city  (or  county, -as  the 
case  may  be).  The  interest  manifested  in  popular 
education,  the  wonderful  progress  apparent  on 
every  hand,  the  unparalleled  prosperity  attending 
my  first  year's  experience,  have  encouraged  me 
during  coming  years  to  press  forward  along  entirely 
new  and  advanced  lines,  never  before  dreamed  of  in 
the  broad  domain  of  popular  education.' 

"  Abundant  space  is  devoted  to  the  enlargement 
of  the  school-room  curriculum,  to  physical  culture, 
to  the  introduction  of  a  text-book,  and  to  numerous 
other  innovations.  Nothing,  however,  is  said  about 
the  forcing  process  which  endangers  health,  and 
causes  headaches  and  sleepless  nights  in  the  prep- 
aration for  the  Superintendent's  hobby — the  period- 
ical examination.  No  mention  is  made  of  the 
desperation  to  which  the  rank  and  file  of  our  teach- 
ers are  driven  in  their  efforts  to  conform  to  a  course 
of  study,  the  prevailing  tendency  of  which  is  to 
subordinate  both  teacher  and  pupil  to  the  text  of 
the  book.  No  intimation  is  given  of  the  insidious 
influences  of  politics — for  the  reason,  perhaps,  that 
his  own  election  may  have  depended  largely  on  the 
political  'pull.'  Not  a  word  is  said  in  these  graph- 
ically prepared  reports  of  the  modern  appliance 
known  as  the  educational  school-room  ladder. 
Every  Superintendent  has  one  of  his  own  concep- 
tion, which  the  teacher  is  instructed  to  keep  con- 
stantly before  the  school.  Some  are  so  high  and 


Nicholas  ComentUJ. 

the  topmost  rong  so  far  out  of  sight  as  to  make  it 
almost  impossible  for  any  but  the  brightest  to  hope 
to  reach  it.  Have  you  ever  watched  the  struggle 
as  it  goes  0:1  from  month  to  month  and  year  to 
year,  as  each  little  worker  strives  manfully  in  his 
vain  endeavor  to  reach  the  topmost  rong,  up  to-day 
and  down  to-morrow,  ever  on  the  strain  to  gain  a 
permanent  foot-hold  at  the  summit?" 

"  But  a  moment,  if  you  please,"  I  interrupted: 
"  I  notice  that  your  Superintendent,  in  his  last 
annual  report,  mentioned  a  number  of  very  import- 
ant improvements;  among  them  the  erection  of  a 
htmdred-thousand-dollar  high  school,  with  all  the 
appurtenances  necessary  to  a  well-equipped  institu- 
tion, such  as  instrumental  music,  military  drill, 
etc." 

"Ah,  the  high  school!  'the  people's  college/  in 
which  ninety-four  per  cent,  of  our  boys  and  girls 
never  set  their  foot,  and  out  of  which  only  one  per 
cent,  of  the  school  population  ever  graduate! 
Verily,  the  high  school  is  marching  on  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  tax-payer,  at  a  rate  that  reflects  the 
utmost  credit  upon  the  directorship  of  the  metrop- 
olis of  Blackwell  county!" 

"  Is  the  high  school,  then,  not  the  people's  col- 
lege ?"  I  asked  with  a  look  of  surprise,  as  my  eyes 
took  in  the  most  imposing  structure  in  Blackwell 
county. 

"  Yes,  it  still  conveys  that  meaning  to  some,  and 
should  in  consequence  supply  the  various  avenues 


New  Era  in  City  Schools.  1 9 1 

of  the  commercial  and  business  world  with  those 
who  are  ultimately  to  fill  its  positions  of  trust  and 
responsibility  ;  but  the  promise  is  not  boine  out  by 
the  facts.  You  see/'  he  continued,  as  we  leisuiely 
strolled  along  the  main  avenue,  "  some  still  enter- 
tain the  idea  that  a  system  of  common  schools 
should  be  adjusted  to  benefit  the  greatest  number. 
There  are,  as  you  will  observe  by  the  Superintend- 
ent's report  thousand  pupils  in  the  various 

departments  of  our  city  schools :  ninety- four  pei 
cent,  of  whom,  as  I  have  said,  never  enter  the 
high  school,  and  this  large  number  must  complete 
their  education,  if  at  all,  in  the  lower  grades. n 

('  Then  the  grammar  school — the  school  of  the 
people — is,  according  to  your  own  inference,  the 
key  to  the  business  world,  and  should  possess,  only 
in  a  smaller  degree,  all  the  advantages  to  be  found 
in  the  high  schools  ?n 

"  Yes,  this  should  be  the  object  and  aim  of  our 
Board  of  Education,  and  the  public  is  so  led  to  be- 
lieve ;  but  the  results  are  not  in  harmony  with  the 
supposition.  The  average  grammar  school  is  such 
only  in  name,  and  bears  no  relation  to  the  defini- 
tion of  the  term  given  by  Webster.  For  instance, " 
he  went  on  to  illustrate:  "How  frequently  do  we 
hear  it  said  by  those  who  have  reason  to  know, 
that  the  pupils  of  our  grammar  schools  are  often- 
times unable  to  answer  the  simplest  questions  from 
a  business  standpoint :  have  little  or  no  knowledge 
of  practical  book-keeping;  are  unreliable  in  the 


1 92  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ordinary  mathematical  operations,  requiring  ac- 
curacy and  dispatch ;  poor  in  penmanship,  and 
even  more  so  in  spelling  and  the  proper  use  of 
words  in  ordinary  conversation. 

"  Give  us  a  dozen  or  more  well-equipped  gram- 
mar schools — not  simply  feeders  to  the  high  school, 
but  schools  of  practical  utility,  in  which  a  sound 
business  education  can  be  depended  on  by  each 
boy  or  girl  who  enters  them — and  you  at  once  meet 
the  requirements  for  which  the  public  school  sys- 
tem was  originally  created.  If  the  term  grammar 
schools  be  considered  too  low  in  the  educational 
scale,  call  them  industrial  schools.  They  will  at 
once  attract  the  hundreds  of  school  children  who 
now  fall  out  of  the  primary  and  secondary  grades 
and  complete  their  education  in  the  workshops  or 
in  other  avocations  of  life  long  before  their  school 
days  should  have  ended.  As  statistics  prove  that 
only  five  out  of  a  hundred  in  all  the  cities  in  the 
land  ever  enter  the  high  school,  more  ample  pro- 
vision should  be  made  for  the  great  army  of  school 
children  within  the  walls  of  well-arranged  gram- 
mar schools,  from  which  all  could  go  forth  fairly 
fitted  for  life's  various  duties.  Reduce  the  school- 
room curriculum  to  the  minimum  ;  eliminate  from 
the  mind  of  the  average  boy  the  fatal  error  of 
supposing  that  because  his  name  happens  to  be 
George,  he  is  destined  to  be  a  second  George 
Washington.  Economize  time  and  direct  it  along 
the  lines  to  which  the  child's  inclination  may 


New  Era  in  City  Schools.  193 

eventually  turn.  How  much  valuable  time  is 
wasted  on  certain  non-essentials  in  the  school- 
room, is  little  appreciated  by  the  public  at  large. 

"  Take  for  example  the  time  wasted  on  the  tech- 
nicalities of  the  subject  of  physiology,  the  school- 
boy *s  nightmare,  and  apply  it  to  something  more 
useful,  practical  and  mind-invigorating,  and  how 
much  happier,  stronger  in  mind  and  body,  and 
ready  for  life's  battles,  our  young  people  would  be. 
I  wish  you  could  see  some  of  the  examination 
papers  prepared  by  the  Superintendent,  and  then 
look  in  upon  a  teacher  here  and  there,  or  step  into 
the  private  study-rooms  of  many  of  our  young 
pupils,  during  the  long  hours  of  drudgery  that 
should  be  given  to  sleep  and  rest.  I  know  you 
would  smile  at  many  of  the  questions.  Here  are  a 
few  taken  from  a  list  of  several  hundred  prepared 
for  the  use  of  each  teacher : 

"  i.  What  is  haemogloblin,  and  how  is  it  affected 
by  the  absence  of  oxygen  ? 

"2.  Name  the  proteid  elements,  and  state  how 
much  nitrogen  they  contain. 

"  3.  How  does  the  sympathetic  system  influence 
the  viscera  and  the  body  at  large? 

"4.  Define  peritoneum,  parenchyma,  perimy- 
sium,  peduncles,  corpora  quadrigemina,  olecranon 
and  microcephalitis. 

"  By  the  way,  this  last  term,  I  suppose,  was 
invented  to  describe  the  condition  of  the  author  of 
the  present  physiology  craze  in  our  schools.  These 


1 94  Nicholas  ComeniuS. 

are  fair  samples  of  the  stuff  crammed  into  our  boyS 
and  girls  at  the  expense  of  sensible  facts  and  ideas 
that  would  prove  of  substantial  benefit." 

"  And  do  the  rank  and  file  of  your  teachers  rest 
content  under  such  pressure  ?' > 

"  No ;  but  what  redress  have  they,  except  to  re- 
sign, and  thus  give  place  to  the  hundreds  who 
are  yearly  clamoring  for  positions. " 

"From  whom  then  do  the  teachers  draw  their 
inspiration  ?" 

u  From  the  Superintendent,  of  course.  He  is  the 
mainspring  of  our  whole  educational  system.  He, 
it  is  who  lays  down  the  course  of  study  from  month 
to  month  and  year  to  year — to-day  the  same  as  yes- 
terday, and  likely  so  to  remain  indefinitely.  It  was 
plodding  along  through  the  text-book  a  decade  ago 
— everlasting  preparation  for  the  final  examination ; 
it  is  the  same  to-day.  Study  accumulates  upon 
study ;  the  child  is  rushed  from  one  department  to 
another  with  a  smattering  of  abstract  ideas,  until 
there  is  no  relation  existing  between  the  result  and 
the  cause  which  produced  it.  This  course  of  in- 
struction, I  presume,  is  based  on  the  broad  prin- 
ciple that  all  minds  are  created  alike,  and  suscept- 
ible to  the  same  influences  which  govern  the 
material  world.  The  individuality  of  the  average 
teacher  is  subordinated  to  the  perfect  system  that 
springs  from  the  one  over-ruling  mind — the  City 
Superintendent..  The  time  may  come,"  said  he  as 
he  turned  to  leave  me,  ' '  when  a  legislative  coin- 


New  Era  in  City  Schools.  195 

mission  may  be  appointed  whose  direct  object  will 
be  to  rescue  the  thousands  of  overworked  teachers 
and  school  children  from  a  condition  more  detri- 
mental to  health  and  strength  than  that  which,  for 
years,  has  existed  in  the  mills  and  workshops  of 
the  land." 

"  Ah,  a  little  old-fogyisrn  still  to  be  found  among 
city  teachers,  as  well  as  in  the  country,"  was  my 
mental  comment,  as  I  took  my  way  toward  the 
leading  hotel  of  the  metropolis,  in  search  of  the 
venerable  Comenius.  "Yes,  my  young  enthusi- 
astic educators,  be  not  dismayed  ;  a  few  more  years 
of  active  service  in  the  ranks  of  the  profession,  and 
the  place  of  our  friend  in  the  grammar  school  will 
be  filled  by  one  younger  in  years  and  more  closely- 
in  touch  with  the  prevailing  sentiment  of  the 
times.  His  opinion  may  be  only  the  expression  of 
a  superannuated  pedagogue,  disgruntled  perhaps, 
and  out  of  harmony  with  the  modern  methods, 
theories,  inductions  and  deductions,  that  now  con- 
trol the  entire  educational  fabric  of  the  common 
school  system. " 

Let  us  not  part  company,  dear  reader,  but  travel 
together  down  the  path  of  time  to  the  birth  of  the 
New  System,  and  there,  perchance,  gather  conso- 
lation from  the  discomfiture  of  a  Jimmy  McCune,  or 
from  the  triumphant  success  of  a  Robert  Ray  land. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

NICHOLAS   AT  THE   HOTEL. 

IN  an  unpretentious  sitting-room,  in  one  of  the 
leading  hotels  of  the  town,  had  gathered,  on  this 
auspicious  Thanksgiving  noon,  a  goodly  number 
of  young  educators.  Having  partaken  of  a  sump- 
tuous repast,  such  as  this  day  is  always  sure  to  pro- 
vide, they  were  leisurely  lounging  before  a  blazing 
fire  in  an  old-fashioned  fire-place,  engaged  in  dis- 
cussing the  latest  improved  methods  of  teaching, 
when  the  door  opened  and  in  stepped  an  aged  man, 
whose  locks  were  whitened  by  the  frosts  of  nearly 
eighty  winters,  followed  by  a  number  of  young 
teachers.  Silently  and  unobserved  he  moved  to- 
ward the  only  vacant  chair  in  the  room,  when  he 
turned  and  greeted  them  pleasantly  with,  "Good 
morning,  boys,  and  a  bounteous  Thanksgiving  may 
you  have,  one  and  all,  for  your  devotion  to  the 
great  cause  of  popular  education. "  Drawing  his 
chair  closer  to  the  blazing  fire,  he  continued  in  the 
same  tone:  "It's  a  fine  teachers'  meeting  you're 
having,  my  lads,  over  in  the  old  court  house ;  beats 
the  old-timers  of  forty  years  ago,  two  to  one." 

These  remarks,  from  such  an  unexpected  source, 

197 


198  Nicholas  Comenius. 

naturally  attracted  the  attention  of  the  score  or 
more  of  professors,  who  now  began  nudging  each 
other,  and  casting  sly  glances  over  at  their  strange 
visitor. 

uWho  can  this  'back  number'  be — this  ( hay- 
seed '  of  forty  years  ago,  who  expects  to  find  the 
educators  of  Blackwell  county  among  the  lads,  or 
boys  as  he  calls  them?"  came  the  supercilious  re- 
mark, in  an  undertone,  from  a  young  teacher  who 
was  in  attendance  at  the  institute  for  the  first  time 
by  virtue  of  a  provisional  certificate  granted  at  a 
rural  examination. 

Encouraged  by  the  sly  nods  of  approval,  another 
important  individual  made  bold  to  ask:  "  A  stranger 
in  these  parts,  looking  for  a  school  ?" 

"  Well,  no,  my  inquisitive  young  friend ;  not  ex- 
actly a  stranger  looking  for  a  school,  nor  a  professor 
either,"  was  the  reply.  "  The  fact  is,  boys,"  added 
he,  "I've  been  attending  these  teachers'  meetings 
off  and  on  for  nearly  forty  years,  and  I  still  have  a 
good  many  things  to  learn. ' ' 

"  Ha,  ha,  think  of  it,  professors!  A  pretty  speci- 
men of  a  back  number,"  suggested  a  third,  whose 
attention  had  been  temporarily  diverted  from  an 
essay  on  the  relation  of  the  young  teacher  to  the 
teacher's  profession. 

"  Why  bless  me,  he  must  be  a  walking  encyclo- 
pedia, or  a  second  edition  of  old  Rip  Van  Winkle," 
remarked  a  short-set,  pompous-looking  individual, 
in  well-fitting  clothes  which  constituted  his  princi- 


Nicholas  at  the  Hotel.  1 99 

pal  claim  to  notice.  "L,et's  wake  him  up  from 
his  fifty  years'  sleep,  and  find  out  what  he  knows 
about  keeping  school  in  the  old  times,  when  the 
masters  went  boarding  round,  with  Noah  Webster's 
spelling-book  under  one  arm  and  a  birch  rod  under 
the  other." 

The  last  remark  created  subdued  merriment 
among  the  younger  teachers,  while  those  who  had 
reached  years  of  discretion  simply  listened  in 
silence  to  this  rather  spicy  dialogue,  in  which  the 
advantage  seemed  all  in  favor  of  the  young 
teachers. 

Were  these  young  professional  gentlemen  mali- 
ciously inclined?  Were  they  actuated  by  a  spirit 
of  ridicule  or  intentional  wrong-doing?  Not  by 
any  means.  There  was  nothing  malicious  in  their 
nature  ;  they  were  prompted  simply  by  a  desire  for 
a  little  harmless  amusement  at  the  expense  (as  they 
supposed)  of  a  defenseless  old  man.  Their  polite- 
ness and  refinement  of  manners,  in  the  presence  of 
the  Superintendent  and  the  gentler  sex,  were  un- 
exceptionable. Was  the  system  then  responsible 
for  the  outburst  of  youthful  indiscretion  on  this 
occasion?  To  answer  this,  it  may  be  necessary  to 
recall  the  playground  and  the  associations  surround- 
ing the  district  school  which  they  had  attended  as 
boys.  Had  they  there  been  taught  gentleness  and 
kindness?  Was  it  a  cardinal  principle  with  the 
teacher  who  taught  the  school  to  demand  at  all 
times  of  his  pupils,  whether  in  the  school-room  or 


2OO  Nicholas  Comenius. 

on  the  by-way,  politeness  and  true  manliness 
toward  those  older  than  themselves — and  espec- 
ially toward  declining  old  age? 

To  make  the  question  more  general,  let  me  ask, 
is  there,  or  is  there  not,  a  growing  disrespect  for 
the  common  civilities  of  life  among  the  young  lads 
of  our  city  and  district  schools?  How  many 
teachers  place  the  cultivation  of  the  manners  and 
morals  of  their  pupils  above  that  of  the  ordinary 
branches  of  the  school-room  curriculum?  What 
can  be  thought  of  a  teacher  who  permits  his  pupils 
to  designate  him,  on  the  playground  or  on  the  pub- 
lic thoroughfare,  with  the  opprobrious  title  of 
"Old  Dad"?  And  yet  not  many  years  ago  a  re- 
spected teacher  was  laid  to  rest  in  one  of  our  lead- 
ing cities,  and  mourned  by  the  lads  as  they  followed 
his  remains,  as  u  Old  Dad  Smith  ;"  and  when  these 
young  lads,  now  grown  into  manhood,  refer  to  his 
memory,  as  they  occasionally  do,  it  is  always  by 
that  title.  How  many  times  have  we  walked  by 
his  side,  and  listened  to  the  salutation,  "Good 
morning,  Old  Dad.n  No  particular  disrespect  was 
intended.  He  responded  in  the  same  inappro- 
priate manner,  applying  the  nickname  of  the  play- 
ground to  each  and  every  boy  whom  he  chanced 
to  meet. 

While  it  may  be  true  as  claimed,  that  our  com- 
mon school  system  is  the  best  the  world  has  ever 
known,  conferring  inestimable  blessings  upon  rich 
and  poor  alike,  let  it  not  be  so  loudly  heralded 


Nicholas  at  the  Hotel.  201 

from  the  platform  that  all  the  virtues  and  moral 
forces  are  contemporaneous  with  the  incoming  of 
this  new  dispensation.  Self-laudation  of  the  new 
and  denunciation  of  the  old  have  characterized  the 
writings  and  utterances  of  a  large  percentage  of  the 
"new  lights."  Let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  the 
development  of  character,  broad  and  comprehensive 
in  its  simplicity,  as  exemplified  in  the  personality 
of  many  an  aged  citizen  nurtured  under  the  foster- 
ing care  of  the  old  academic  institutions,  was  a 
cardinal  principle  held  as  sacred  as  that  of  the 
cause  itself.  Is  the  tendency  of  the  profession 
to-day  toward  the  development  of  character,  of  the 
moral  forces  inherent  in  the  nature  of  the  child? 
The  disposition  to  magnify  the  shortcomings  of 
old-time  customs,  to  hold  the  stern  disciplinarian 
up  to  scorn  and  ridicule,  is  only  equaled  by  the 
intense  desire  to  hurrah  for  our  modern  system 
and  to  laud  it  from  the  platform  as  the  greatest  in 
human  history.  The  only  wonder  would  seem  to 
be  how  the  generation  that  grew  up  under  the  old 
conditions  had  sufficient  self-sustaining  force  of 
character  to  inaugurate  a  system  such  as  the  pres- 
ent has  proved  to  be. 

Would  that  we  could  instil  into  the  heart  of 
every  young  teacher  a  greater  reverence  for  a  type 
of  old  men  like  Nicholas  Comenius,  and  hundreds 
of  others  whose  names  might  be  mentioned.  His 
methods  may  have  been  of  the  primitive  kind, 
even  at  times  confined  to  the  three  R's  and  the 


2O2  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Bible,  but  from  the  latter  were  indelibly  impressed 
on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  young  many  whole- 
some lessons.  True,  education  may  have  been  at 
times  a  pounding-  or  pouring  in  process,  rather 
than  the  drawing-out  method  in  vogue  to  such  an 
exaggerated  extent  at  the  present  day — based  ap- 
parently on  a  principle  of  which  the  only  mathe- 
matical description  is,  that  if  nothing  be  taken 
from  nothing,  naught  remains.  However,  much 
that  was  taught  under  the  direction  of  Nicholas 
Comenius  took  deep  root,  producing  some  thirty, 
some  sixty,  and  some  a  hundred  fold.  Since  the 
old  settlers  were  a  God-fearing  people,  it  is  safe  to 
infer  that  the  great  majority  of  the  teachers  of 
Blackwell  county  were  imbued  with  the  same 
spirit.  Let  the  modern  teacher  then  not  lose  sight 
of  the  all-important  fact  that  the  real  teacher  is  by 
no  means  a  modern  invention,  product  or  discov- 
ery. Many  an  old  time-worn  structure  or  academic 
institution,  so  numerous  in  earlier  days,  yet  stands 
to  testify  to  the  educational  sentiment  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  and  the  few  of  their  pupils  who  yet  linger 
among  us,  ladies  and  gentlemen  "  of  the  old  school," 
by  their  manners  and  character  make  illustrious 
the  memory  of  their  early  instructors. 

But  we  must  return  to  our  little  group  in  the 
hotel  sitting  room.  Whence  came  this  aged  patri- 
arch, who  has  been  sitting  so  quietly  before  the 
blazing  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  little  circle,  as  they 
humorously  exchange  their  pleasantries  at  his 


Nicholas  at  the  Hotel.  203 

expense  ?  At  last  there  came  a  pause,  broken  only 
by  the  low  and  measured  tic-toe  of  the  old  grand- 
father's clock.  In  a  distant  part  of  the  room  sat  a 
middle-aged  gentleman  known  to  some  of  the 
teachers  as  a  distinguished  lawyer,  apparently  doz- 
ing. Had  he  been  awakened  by  the  ticking  of  the 
faithful  monitor  that  had  stood  for  eighty  years  a 
silent  observer  in  moments  of  prosperity  and  rejoic- 
ing, as  well  as  during  the  long  hours  of  adversity  ? 
Silently  he  arose,  made  his  way  toward  the  object 
of  so  many  attempts  at  wit,  and  grasping  the  aged 
man  by  the  hand,  said: 

uGlad  to  see  you,  my  venerable  friend,  this 
bright  Thanksgiving  noon.  Taking  a  day  off  at 
the  convention,  eh?  Why  bless  me,  attending 
these  annual  meetings  and  associating  with  these 
young  teachers,  seems  to  keep  old  Father  Time, 
with  his  sharpened  scythe,  at  a  pretty  safe  distance!5' 

Then  turning  and  facing  the  little  circle  of  pro- 
fessionals, upon  whose  countenances  were  depicted 
the  very  depths  of  chagrin,  he  said  : 

u  Gentlemen,  representing  as  you  do  one  of  the 
noblest  of  professions,  permit  me  to  introduce  to 
one  and  all  Nicholas  Comenius,  who  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century  was  the  worthy  Superintendent  of 
Blackwell  county.  Come,  my  lads,  and  gather 
round  this  cback  number,'  and  extend  the  hand  of 
good-fellowship  to  one  who  during  the  early  strug- 
gles in  the  cause  of  popular  education,  was  the 
earnest  and  devoted  friend  of  the  old  masters,  as  he 


2O4  Nicholas  Comenius. 

has  ever  since  been  the  champion  of  the  cause  rep- 
resented by  the  professional  teacher  of  to-day.  He 
may  be  a  4  walking  encyclopedia '  or  a  '  second  Rip 
Van  Winkle/  but  you  will  ever  find  him  in  the 
foremost  rank,  battling  for  a  broader  faith." 

After  a  few  spasmodic  apologies,  accompanied  by 
a  mortified  look  and  a  nervous  shake  of  the  hand, 
the  little  band  of  modern  educators  formed  a  circle, 
in  the  centre  of  which  sat  Nicholas  Comenius,  the 
hero  of  the  hour. 

uNow,  my  venerable  friend,"  concluded  the 
gentleman,  with  a  half-suppressed  chuckle  that 
brought  a  smile  to  the  face  of  Nicholas,  "  since  we 
have  all  become  better  acquainted,  we  shall  call 
upon  you  to  give  these  boys  the  story  of  the  little 
red  sandstone  school-house." 

"Yes,  yes,  Nicholas  Comenius,"  came  a  chorus 
of  voices.  "Call  us  boys,  or  lads,  or  anything 
you  will,  but  pardon  our  youthful  indiscretion." 

A  moment  later,  Nicholas  Comenius  was  resting 
in  an  easy  reclining-chair  that  one  of  the  young 
teachers  had  provided,  and  silence  pervaded  the 
room.  But,  it  was  different  outdoors!  The  report 
of  the  little  episode  had  passed  from  teacher  to 
teacher,  and  soon  they  came  crowding  into  the 
hotel.  All  could  now  remember  the  old  man 
standing  alone  in  the  court-room,  and  the  courtesy 
of  the  young  lady  who  said  so  pleasantly:  u Are 
you  looking  for  a  seat,  my  aged  friend?  Come, 
and  I  will  give  you  mine," 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

NICHOLAS  ADDRESSES  THE  INSTITUTE — HIS  GUARD 
OF  HONOR — TEDDY  DEFENDS  HIS  GATE. 

THE  court-house  bell  was  striking  for  the  exer- 
cises to  begin  when  a  committee,  headed  by  the 
young  Superintendent,  were  pressing  their  way 
toward  the  old  hotel.  There  could  be  no  mistak- 
ing their  mission,  for  the  name  of  Nicholas  Come- 
nius  was  the  only  one  in  all  that  vast  concourse 
that  seemed  at  that  moment  to  call  for  recognition. 
Old  men,  with  silvery  locks,  pressed  their  way  for- 
ward ;  for  did  they  not  remember  Nicholas  Come- 
nius,  when  his  name  was  a  household  word  beloved 
by  old  and  young?  As  the  young  Superintendent 
forced  his  way  through  the  open  door-way,  did  he 
wait  for  a  formal  introduction?  No!  But  grasp- 
ing Nicholas  by  the  hand,  with  moistened  eye  lie 
atoned  for  the  apparent  rudeness  displayed  in  refus- 
ing to  honor  the  request  that  came  from  his  legal 
friend — the  same  who  had  befriended  Nicholas  in 
the  hour  of  need,  taking  in  the  situation  while  ap- 
parently dozing  in  a  remote  corner  of  the  room. 
Was  Nicholas  permitted  to  tell  the  story  of  the 
olden-time  dispensation  to  those  who  had  gathered 

205 


Nicholas  Addresses  the  Institute.        2o/> 

round?  This  was  not  the  place  for  Nicholas 
Comenius  to  be  heard;  for  strong  and  willing 
hands  tenderly  lifted  the  old  patriarch  from  his 
easy  reclining-chair,  passed  through  the  open  door- 
way and  thence  to  the  old  court-room,  where  they 
placed  him  in  the  seat  of  honor,  beneath  the  old 


What  unseen  hand  on  this  Thanksgiving  day — 
this  sixtieth  anniversary  of  the  adoption  of  the 
school  system — was  invisibly  protecting  Nicholas 
Comenius  like  a  guardian  angel  ?  Who  was  it  that 
had  prompted  the  lawyer  to  send  the  messenger 
with  a  note  to  the  president  of  the  convention ;  and 
who,  failing  in  this  act  of  homage  to  his  old  friend, 
had  arranged  that  the  same  eminent  gentleman 
should  be  present  in  the  hotel  sitting-room? 
Stephen  Smithers  had  not  entrusted  the  gate 
known  as  u  Honest  Stephen  "  to  the  charge  of  his 
little  grandson  Teddy,  the  lad  of  nine,  only  to  en- 
joy the  festivities  of  the  institute.  And  Stephen 
Smithers,  of  all  that  crowded  assembly,  was  the 
only  one  who  had  thus  faithfully  remembered 
Nicholas  Comenius.  As  "one  touch  of  nature 
makes  the  whole  world  kin,"  so  through  this  in- 
tervention of  Stephen  the  gate-keeper,  hundreds 
of  hearts  now  beat  in  unison  with  that  of  the  aged 
father. 

As  the  bell  ceased  ringing,  the  audience  that 
filled  the  court  house — young  men  and  old,  ma- 
tronly women  and  tender-hearted  maidens,  awaited 


208  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  opportunity  of  extending  the  hand  of  fellow- 
ship to  Nicholas  Comenius,  the  last  frail  span  that 
yet  linked  the  past  with  the  present,  the  Old  with 
the  New.  The  effigy  of  justice,  whose  scales  on 
more  than  one  memorable  occasion  had  trembled 
in  the  balance,  now  looked  smilingly  down  upon 
the  crowded  court-room,  as  if  to  whisper,  "  Nicho- 
las Comenius,  for  sixty  years  thou  hast  been 
weighed  in  the  balance,  and  never  found  wanting." 

In  the  midst  of  this  profound  silence  the  Super- 
intendent arose,  and  in  a  speech  of  deep  emotion, 
as  well  as  of  stirring  diction,  presented  Nicholas  to 
the  institute.  Deafening  applause  greeted  the 
patriarchal  educator  as  he  advanced  to  the  front  of 
the  platform,  and  with  a  smile  radiant  with  the 
sweetness  of  a  hallowed  life,  acknowledged  the 
honor  that  had  come  to  him  so  bountifully,  yet  un- 
solicited. 

"I  am,"  said  Comenius,  uin  the  presence  of  a 
great  though  unseen  power,  to  which  in  years  gone 
by  I  have  done  homage,  and  to  which  I  still  remain 
loyal,  and  shall  while  life  endures.  It  is  a  long 
stretch  of  time,  fellow  teachers,  a  long  train  of 
events,  a  marvelous  procession  of  deeds  and  lives 
and  service,  since  the  day  sixty  years  ago  when 
old  Simon  brought  us  the  startling  news  of  the 
adoption  of  the  common  school  law.  By  all  the 
memories  that  cluster  round  the  system,  by  the 
influences  which  touch  and  move  us,  it  is  meet  and 
proper  at  this  time  to  consider  what  that  system 


Nicholas  Addresses  the  Institute.        209 

stands  for,  what  it  is  to  me  and  to  you.  Its  history 
is  a  record  of  solid  and  triumphant  success,  not 
only  in  its  specific  purpose  of  education,  but  in 
promoting  religion  and  morality,  education,  and 
all  things  which  go  to  make  a  people  prosperous, 
contented  and  happy.  As  the  acorn  came  from  the 
bud  and  blossom  of  the  old  oak,  can  we  or  should 
we  forget  that  from  a  Pestalozzi  and  Comenius 
came  the  light,  the  life  and  the  inspiration  of  the 
New  ?  Can  we  forget  that  out  of  the  ignorance  of 
the  masses  was  sifted  a  trained,  organized  body  of 
enthusiastic  workers,  whose  self-sacrificing  devo- 
tion to  the  cause  of  humanity  has  been  felt  wher- 
ever the  rural  school  has  found  an  abiding-place? 
Can  we  fail  to  reverence  the  memory  of  the  men 
of  our  own  state  who  have  assured  to  future  gene- 
rations the  untold  blessings  of  the  public  school  ? 
Can  we  forget  that  they  are  of  c  those  immortal 
dead  who  live  in  minds  made  better  by  their  pres- 
ence?' The  destiny  of  Blackwell  county  has  been 
confided  to  you  in  trust,  my  young  teachers ;  and 
it  is  this  responsibility,  so  vast  and  weighty,  that 
you  as  educators  will  have  to  meet  and  discharge 
with  fidelity.  Owing  to  want  of  time,  and  in 
deference  to  the  work  already  mapped  out,  I  do  not 
wish  to  address  you  at  length ;  but  wishing  you  God 
speed  in  your  onward  course,  and  deeply  grateful 
to  you  for  the  opportunity  afforded  me,  I  hope  at 
some  future  time  to  carry  you  back  to  the  birth 
and  infancy  of  the  common  schools,  to  tell  you 


•:•::::;::-  •= 


An  Escort  of  Honor.  2  i  f 

the  story  of  the  little  red  sandstone  school  house, 
around  which  still  cluster  many  fond  recollections 
of  my  early  boyhood  days." 

As  Nicholas  ended,  a  profound  silence  rested 
upon  every  hearer  for  a  moment,  only  to  be  broken 
by  a  wave  of  enthusiasm  which  rolled  over  the 
audience  like  the  surf  on  the  shore,  and  ended  in  a 
demonstration  such  as  is  not  often  seen  in  the  old 
court  house,  and  not  likely  soon  to  be  forgotten. 
One  of  the  teachers  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  making 
himself  heard,  said  : 

"  Mr.  Chairman,  I  move  a  unanimous  vote  of 
thanks  to  Nicholas  Comenius,  a  worthy  and  be- 
loved teacher,  for  his  words  and  his  presence, 
which  are  alike  inspiring  to  us  all."  Another 
teacher  added :  "  And  that  an  escort  of  honor  be 
appointed  to  accompany  the  venerable  educator  to 
his  home  in  Emden." 

This  was  heartily  agreed  to,  and  Nicholas  left 
the  room  accompanied  by  a  committee  of  five 
teachers  and  followed  by  the  singing  of  uAuld 
Lang  Syne,"  and  the  prayer  that  a  life  so  rounded 
and  beautiful  might  be  prolonged  indefinitely. 

Those  who  live  amid  the  active  scenes  of  city 
life  may  now  and  then  be  touched  to  the  very 
depths  of  their  nature  by  separation  from  old 
friends  and  associations ;  but  only  those  who  have 
followed  the  rippling  stream  as  it  gushes  from 
the  mountain  side,  drank  of  its  sparkling  waters, 
climbed  the  mountain  path,  and  communed  with 


2 1 2  Nicholas  Comenius. 

nature  in  all  its  varied  forms,  can  measure  the  love 
and  intensity  of  feeling  that  found  expression,  as 
Nicholas  Comenius  bade  one  and  all  a  fervent 
farewell  to  begin  his  homeward  journey. 

It  was  an  ideal  November  noon  ;  the  stage-coach 
stood  ready  to  receive  its  guests ;  the  steeds  were 
champing  their  bits,  eager  for  the  word  to  start ; 
all  the  passengers  had  taken  their  seats,  with 
Nicholas  Comenius  occupying  the  place  of  honor. 
Young  Patrick,  the  driver,  took  the  reins,  and 
amid  joyful  shouts  and  gay  peals  of  laughter,  the 
coach  spun  onward  over  the  king's  highway, 
through  fertile  fields,  by  farm-house  and  village, 
toward  beautiful  Emden,  the  home  of  Nicholas 
Comenius.  From  crowded  sidewalks  came  the 
clapping  of  hands  and  waving  of  kerchiefs,  uGod 
bless  the  venerable  educator,"  and  "Safe  journey 
to  one  and  all." 

"  Good-bye,  Stephen  Smithers,"  shouted  his 
legal  friend,  as  the  keeper  of  "Honest  Stephen," 
astraddle  of  Captain  Jack,  followed  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, leading  Nelly  the  mare. 

On  all  sides,  as  far  as  eye  could  penetrate,  the 
unpretentious  farm-house,  as  well  as  every  old 
landmark,  conveyed  a  lesson  freighted  with  inter- 
est to  the  young  students.  What  a  picture  lay 
before  the  observing  mind  of  Nicholas  Comenius, 
so  full  of  tradition  and  historic  reminiscences ! 

But  as  they  reached  the  dangerous  cliff,  known 
in  years  gone  by  as  the  Round  Up,  with  night 


Stephen  Nearing  Home.  2 1 3 

coming  on,  there  was  one  whose  mind  began  to 
realize  the  grave  responsibility  resting  upon  his 
own  conscience,  as  well  as  upon  Teddy,  his  loving 
grandson.  That  Nicholas  was  returning  triumph- 
ant from  the  scenes  of  his  early  exploits,  full  of 
honors,  only  added  to  the  intensity  of  the  anxiety 
that  throbbed  in  the  bosom  of  Stephen  Smithers, 
for  Teddy,  alone  in  the  old  gate-house.  Had  some 
mishap  befallen  the  faithful  Teddy?  Had  he 
been  spirited  away  in  the  darkness ;  or  perhaps 
stricken  down  for  the  little  cash  the  old  gate- 
keeper was  ever  suspected  of  having  concealed  in 
some  secluded  nook  or  cranny  of  the  old  gate- 
house? Sad  indeed,  were  the  forebodings  of 
Stephen  Smithers  as  he  rode  along  within  easy 
reach  of  the  fast-moving  coach,  whose  occupants 
little  imagined  the  state  of  mind  into  which  he  had 
fallen.  However,  as  Stephen  drew  nearer  and  be- 
held the  flickering  light  from  the  old  lamp  that, 
for  so  many  years,  had  stood  within  the  window  of 
the  lone  gate-house,  his  doubts  for  the  safety  of  the 
lad  began  to  disappear ;  and  he  thereupon  deter- 
mined to  subject  him  to  a  further  test,  the  result 
of  which  would  practically  demonstrate  to  his  own 
mind  the  effect  the  teachings  of  the  early  morning 
were  to  have  on  the  mind  of  the  youth.  Well  he 
understood  the  wild  and  rugged  nature  of  Pat,  the 
driver,  ready  at  all  times  to  force  his  way  through 
every  gate  on  the  road.  But  was  not  Stephen 
Smithers  within  easy  reach  of  the  lad's  rescue? 


2I4 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


and  were  not  Nicholas  Comenius  and  the  young 
students  ready  to  defend  the  helpless  lad  ? 

"Whoa!"  came  the  burly  voice  of  Pat,  as  he 
drove  his  four-in-hand  squarely  up  to  the  closed 
gate.  "  Up  with  your  pole,  old  man,  or  Pat 


TKDDY  HOLDS  THE  FORT. 


Murphy  '11  be  after  plunging  through  pole,  gate- 
house and  all ! " 

"Pay  your  dues  to  the  gate  known  as  'Honest 
Stephen,'  and  the  pole  will  rise  to  the  perpendic- 


Teddy  at  the  Gate.  215 

ular,  aH,d  give  you  the  right  of  way,"  came  a  voice 
that  startled  even  this  rough  native  of  the  Emerald 
Isle. 

"  And  who  are  you,  my  young  fledgling,  anyway, 
that  would  be  after  dictating  to  one  who  always 
claims  the  right  of  way  over  the  road,  gate  or  no 
gate?"  responded  Pat,  flourishing  his  long  raw-hide 
over  his  head. 

"  Oh,  no,  Mr.  Driver,  there's  just  forty  cents  due 
(  Honest  Stephen,'  and  no  spurious  coin  at  that, " 
came  the  quick  reply  of  Teddy,  who  stood  firmly 
at  his  post,  with  his  lantern  in  one  hand  and  the 
bag  of  change  in  the  other. 

"And  where  is  the  old  gate-keeper  who's  been 
entrusting  the  king's  highway  to  one  of  your 
years?"  came  the  reply  of  Patrick,  who  had  failed 
to  recognize  the  presence  of  Stephen  Smithers. 

"  Never  mind ;  just  hurry  along  with  the  exact 
change,"  retorted  Teddy,  in  a  voice  that  betrayed 
neither  fear  nor  emotion. 

"Better  out  with  the  change,"  suggested  Come- 
nius,  who  had  taken  the  precaution  to  supply  the 
needed  toll-money ;  and  who,  at  the  same  time, 
had  received  a  nod  of  recognition  from  Stephen 
Smithers,  who  was  at  that  moment  enjoying  the 
little  dialogue  with  a  good-natured  chuckle. 

"Well,  here,  my  young  scalawag,"  replied  Pat, 
drawing  from  his  pocket  a  large  shining  coin,  and 
placing  it  in  the  hand  of  the  youth ;  "  take  this, 
and  be  sure  to  render  the  exact  change  to  a  far- 


21 6  Nicholas  Comenius. 

thing,  or  I'll  be  after  whaling  the  life  out  of  ye. 
Be  quick,  my  young  chap,  and  stop  fumbling  the 
precious  coin  'twixt  your  fingers. " 

"But  its  no  good,  Mr.  Driver;  only  so  much 
base  metal,  that  isn't  worth  more  than  a  nickel  a 
pound,"  was  the  lad's  rejoinder,  as  he  handed  back 
the  spurious  coin. 

uNo  good!  and  surely  you're  a  chip  of  the  old 
block  !  No  good,  eh  ?  By  the  holy  Saint  Patrick 
it's  a  tender  of  America's  money  I've  been  after 
making  ye,  my  young  sapling,  and  it's  through  the 
gate  I'll  be  after  driving  my  four-in-hand,  as  sure 
as  Pat's  an  American  citizen,"  continued  the  now 
exasperated  coachman,  as  he  gathered  the  reins  in 
hand,  ready  for  a  forward  move. 

At  this  moment,  and  while  Teddy  grasped  at 
the  bridle  of  the  offside  horse,  came  the  voice  of 
Stephen  Smithers,  as  he  rode  up  and  dismounted : 
"Hold  on,  not  a  step  further  at  the  risk  of  your 
life!" 

The  next  instant  the  astonished  driver  lay  at  the 
feet  of  Stephen  Smithers,  begging  for  mercy. 

"Now  rise,  and  beg  the  young  lad's  pardon," 
said  Stephen,  "  and  hand  over  the  exact  change  to 
the  penny,  or  there'll  be  one  coach-driver  less  in 
the  world  to  worry  Honest  Stephen." 

Before  the  others  could  dismount,  Stephen  had 
clasped  the  lad  to  his  bosom,  printed  a  kiss  upon 
his  forehead,  and  then,  relieved  from  the  anxiety 
that  had  been  resting  upon  him,  exclaimed: 


Teddy  and  Nicholas.  1 1 7 

"  Teddy,  my  little  hero,  this  is  Nicholas  Comenius, 
whom  you  have  never  before  seen." 

"  Yes,  my  gallant  little  defender  of  the  king's 
highway,"  said  Nicholas,  as  he  drew  the  lad  toward 
him,  "  the  days  may  come  and  the  days  may  go,  old 
associations  may  pass  away,  but  the  world  will  ever 
grow  better  and  richer  with  the  display  of  such 
youthful  heroism  and  self-sacrificing  devotion. 
Who  is  the  lad,  and  whence  came  he?n  he  added, 
addressing  Stephen,  wishing  to  learn  the  history 
of  one  of  such  tender  age,  and  yet  possessing  such 
true  manly  character.  And  Stephen  proudly  an- 
swered, "  He  is  my  grandson. " 

For  hours  Comenius  and  his  little  escort  sat 
within  the  old  gate-house,  and  there  for  the  first 
time  Nicholas  learned,  from  the  lips  of  Stephen 
Srnithers  the  part  the  latter  had  so  adroitly  played 
in  the  old  educator's  behalf.  And  it  may  here  be 
said,  that  Teddy  is  now  the  boon  companion  of 
Nicholas  Comenius,  and  that  ever  and  anon,  during 
the  long  vacation  days,  he  may  be  found  at  the  old 
homestead  of  the  octogenarian,  where  in  commu- 
nion with  each  other,  many  joyful  hours  are  yearly 
spent  beneath  the  venerable  oak  that  yet  stands  to 
shelter  the  little  red  sandstone  school-house. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

NICHOLAS   AND   HIS   ESCORT    LOOKING    BACKWARD 
INTO  THE   PAST. 

"  IT  is  with  feelings  of  pleasure  mingled  with 
sadness  that  I  ask  you,  my  young  friends,  to  join 
me  in  a  visit  to  the  scenes  of  my  early  childhood," 
suggested  Nicholas,  as  we  sauntered  forth  from  the 
old  homestead  on  the  morning  following  the 
Thanksgiving  ever  to  be  remembered  with  pleas- 
ure. After  a  short  walk  we  reached  the  substantial 
iron  bridge,  beneath  which  flows  the  same  familiar 
stream  as  in  days  gone  by,  winding  its  way  onward 
through  an  undulating  surface  until  lost  in  the 
wilds  of  Shaky  Hollow. 

"  The  quaint  wooden  bridge  has  long  since  been 
swept  a  way, "  musingly  sighs  Nicholas;  "but  the 
yellow  pebbles  that  glisten  in  the  bright  sunlight 
beneath  the  bridge  are  just  as  of  yore,  and  will  re- 
main the  same  as  long  as  we  read  years  from  the 
dial  of  time.  But  the  little  bubbles,  as  they  skip 
dancingly  along  in  quick  succession  beneath  our 
feet  as  we  lean  over  the  iron  column  and  watch 
their  strange  antics,  glance  up  as  if  to  say,  '  No,  we 
are  not  the  same  listless,  idle  fellows  that  playfully 
318 


Old  Memories  Revived.  2 1 9 

meandered  along  beneath  the  old  wooden  bridge 
when  you,  Nicholas,  were  a  lad.  Listen  to  the 
sound  of  turning  wheels  and  revolving  spindles 
farther  down  the  stream,  and  you'll  soon  discover 
that  we  too  have  a  duty  to  perform.  No  time  to 
waste  on  idle  curiosity-seekers;  for  the  wheels  of  the 
new  electric  station  away  below  are  waiting,  and 
we  must  be  promptly  on  time.'  And  a  moment 
later  they  seem  to  say :  '  Good-bye,  old  man ;'  and 
on  they  rush  until  lost  in  the  distance,  lisping  the 
words  of  the  poet : 

*  *  *  We  chatter  over  stony  ways, 

In  little  sharps  and  trebles, 
We  bubble  into  eddying  bays, 
We  babble  on  the  pebbles. 

* ' '  We  chatter,  chatter  as  we  flow 
To  join  the  brimming  river, 
For  men  may  come  and  men  may  go, 
But  we  go  on  forever. ' '  * 

A  few  steps  to  the  right  of  the  bridge  stands  the 
gray  moss-covered  church  and  its  time-worn  tomb- 
stones— lone  sentinels  that  yet  stand  to  perpetuate 
the  deeds  of  noble  men  and  women,  and  serve  to 
awaken  within  us  long-forgotten  memories  of  old 
Parson  Hoskins,  who  in  years  gone  by  dwelt  within 
the  ivy-covered  parsonage ;  of  Oscar  Bently,  the 
portly  inn-keeper  of  the  "  General  Washington," 
and  of  Squire  Benton,  who  for  many  years  dealt 
out  justice  and  mercy  in  his  rough  way  to  the 
denizens  of  Shaky  Hollow.  We  look  in  vain  for 


O 

w 


W 

Q 


W 

s 

O 

(4 
O 

O 

y 


Old  Memories  Revived.  221 

the  old  town  pump  as  it  stood  in  the  days  of  our 
youth,  administering  to  the  wants  of  the  thirsty, 
and  sigh  for  the  low  thatched  cottage,  wherein 
dwelt  a  sainted  mother  with  her  little  flock. 
Beyond  the  weather-beaten  church,  on  what  was 
once  the  village  green,  we  pass  an  elegant  and 
commodious  school  building  of  modern  construc- 
tion ;  but  where  is  the  little  old  red  sandstone 
school-house  to  which  Nicholas  Comenius  so  often 
refers  ?  Has  it  at  last  fallen  a  sacrifice  to  the  in- 
roads of  civilizing  influences?  No,  there  it  stands, 
beneath  the  spreading  branches  of  the  venerable 
oak,  where  so  often  it  has  greeted  the  eye  of 
Nicholas,  returning  from  a  long  day's  journey — 
the  last  representative  of  a  type  of  old  school- 
houses,  once  numerous,  but  destined  soon  to  live 
only  in  tradition,  or  in  the  hearts  of  the  few  who 
still  linger  among  men,  in  ripe  old  age.  Ah,  how 
impressively  are  we  here  made  to  feel  and  appreci- 
ate the  lines  from  Whittier's  "  In  School  Days:" 

' '  Still  sits  the  school-house  by  the  road, 

A  ragged  beggar  sunning  ; 
Around  it  still  the  sumacs  grow, 
And  blackberry  vines  are  running. 

"  Within,  the  master's  desk  is  seen, 

Deep  scarred  by  raps  official ; 
The  warping  floors,  the  battered  seats, 
The  jack-knife's  carved  initial." 

"In  these   respective   types,"    remarked  Come- 
nius, "  we  behold  on  one  side  the  new  Emden  in 


222  Nicholas  Comenius. 

all  the  power  and  glory  that  belongs  to  a  new  era ; 
on  the  other  we  see  dear  old  Emden,  the  dream  of 
Paradise  in  our  boyhood  days,  with  its  rongli- 
hewn  landmarks  fast  vanishing  from  the  stage  of 
life,  leaving  us  only  a  sweet  and  fragrant  memory. 
Each  in  its  turn  conveys  a  lesson  full  of  meaning, 
both  to  the  young  and  the  old.  Around  the 
modern  house  the  green  lawn,  the  silvery  maple 
and  the  linden  add  their  charms ;  bright-eyed  girls 
and  light-hearted  boys  come  and  go  with  each 
recurring  morning  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  inno- 
cent pastimes ;  even  the  teacher,  young,  active  and 
full  of  youthful  aspirations,  mingles  in  their  out- 
door amusements;  while  within  they  pursue  the 
even  tenor  of  their  way,  unconscious  of  the  old 
house  and  its  early  associations.  If  around  that 
time-worn  deserted  structure  ever  lingered  any  en- 
dearing memories,  they  have  either  long  since 
passed  away,  or  dwell  only  in  the  fast-failing 
memory  of — whom,  I  may  well  ask,"  continued 
Nicholas  with  a  sigh. 

"  Yes,  within  its  bleak  walls  there  may  have 
been  as  loving  hearts  and  as  devoted  a  master  in 
the  days  gone  by;  but  if  so,  what  use  has  this 
modern  teacher  either  for  his  example  or  his 
methods?  The  old  master  and  his  traditional 
environment  have  no  adiding-place  in  his  memory  ; 
the  future  alone,  with  its  endless  variety  of  new 
methods  and  possibilities,  is  the  absorbing  interest 
in  his  life.  The  old  pedagogue  may  have  been 


Old  Memories  Revived.  11$ 

what  the  teacher  of  to-day  loves  to  designate  as 
one  of  a  long  line  of  superannuated  old-time  mas- 
ters, to  whose  charge  was  entrusted  not  only  the 
moral  and  intellectual  status  of  the  entire  school, 
but  of  the  whole  neighborhood  as  well ;  or  he  may 
have  been  a  second  Doctor  Arnold  or  a  Christopher 
Dock — schoolmasters  who  were  not  simply  masters 
of  the  school,  but  rather  of  the  souls  of  their  pupils, 
shining  examples  of  that  noble  army  of  educators 
whose  memory  should  be  cherished  by  every 
teacher  in  the  land. 

"  Who  was  the  last  master  that  taught  this  par- 
ticular school,  whence  he  came  and  whither  he 
went,  is  of  little  moment  to  his  successor.  What- 
ever may  have  been  his  intellectual  qualifications, 
his  virtue  and  kindness  of  heart,  his  mental  and 
moral  attainments  are  now  considered  to  be  sym- 
bolized by  the  rude  floor  and  crude  furniture  of  the 
old  house ;  while  his  outward  appearance,  whatever 
it  once  may  have  been,  is  assumed  to  have  been  a 
counterpart  of  the  dingy,  weather-beaten  walls  of 
the  old  house  without.  If  it  were  cold  and  unin- 
viting, he  was  the  same;  if  its  walls  within  were 
bleak  and  cheerless,  his  nature  was  equally  so.  In 
fact,  the  average  teacher  of  to-day  would  seem  to 
prefer  not  only  to  ignore  the  better  qualities  of  the 
old  master,  but  to  hold  him  up  to  scorn  and  ridi- 
cule, and  by  way  of  extenuation  assert  that  his 
knowledge  never  extended  beyond  the  single  and 
double  rule  of  three,  the  spelling-book  and  the 


224  Nicholas  Comenius. 

birch  rod,  that  universally  accepted  panacea  for  all 
the  ills  and  shortcomings  of  a  boy's  nature.  Many 
still  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  with  the  incoming  of 
the  new  system  his  light  went  out,  as  suddenly  as 
though  it  had  never  existed. 

"  Let  us,  however,  my  young  friends,"  continued 
Nicholas,  "  call  upon  memory  to  conjure  up  a  pic- 
ture of  the  ebb  and  flow  of  daily  life,  with  all  its 
shades  of  stern  or  pleasant  duty,  that  once  went  on 
within  the  walls  of  this  old  school-house.  Let  the 
picture  be  bright  enough  in  color  and  remain  long 
enough  before  us  to  make  an  impression ;  then  let 
us  invite  the  rising  generation  of  young  teachers, 
whose  judgment  and  conceptions  of  the  old  master 
and  the  house  in  which  he  kept  school  some  sixty 
years  ago  are  so  ill-founded  and  untenable,  to  step 
to  our  side  and  study  its  suggestive  features.  Let 
us  reverse  the  dial  of  time,  and  re-enact  the  condi- 
tions as  they  existed  when  old  Jimmy  McCune  was 
monarch  of  all  he  surveyed  as  master  of  the  village 
school.  Let  us  summon  before  us  some  disconso- 
late educator,  who  is  ever  longing  for  the  better 
days  when  the  teacher's  calling  shall  have  become 
self-sustaining;  and  turning  his  back  on  the  cosy, 
well-equipped  rural  school  and  its  manifold  bless- 
ings, let  him  turn  old-time  schoolmaster  for  one 
short  term  and  mark  the  result. 

"  Ah,  here  you  are,  my  old  master  "  (turning  to 
one  of  our  number);  "  a  little  too  flashy  in  your 
get-up  to  please  the  constituents,  but  a  few  months 


An  Hour  with  the  Past.  225 

of  boarding  round  on  your  three-pen  ny-a-day  col- 
lections will  adapt  you  to  the  changed  conditions. 
Now,  hurry  along,  old  man,  and  lend  a  helping 
hand,  as  we  proceed  to  restore  the  old  house  to  its 
former  status,  in  order  that  we  may  get  you  com- 
fortably installed  before  the  bleak  storms  of  winter 
set  in.  Come,  let  us  make  haste  to  repair  the  roof 
of  the  old  house;  reset  its  three  scant  window- 
frames  with  new  four-by-six  glass;  relay  the  floor 
with  unhewn  slabs,  that  the  air  may  circulate  the 
more  freely  among  the  little  urchins  of  the  school; 
plaster  up  its  crevices ;  resurrect  the  ten-plate  wood 
stove,  with  the  cumbrous  wood-box,  axe,  saw  and 
saw-buck.  And  now,  while  the  old  desks  and  slab 
benches  are  being  arranged  around  the  wall,  your 
first  half-hour's  experience  will  be  devoted  to  wood- 
chopping  over  in  yonder  clearing;  for  the  long 
winter  days  will  require  a  goodly  supply  of  hickory 
to  keep  the  room  in  proper  condition.  Hurry 
along  now,  my  old  pedagogue,  and  get  a  move  on, 
for  the  time's  drawing  near  for  the  exercises  to 
begin. 

u  Ah,  here  you  are,  with  a  pretty  good  armful, 
my  busy  man !"  cries  Nicholas,  a  half  hour  later, 
as  the  master  enters  the  room  in  a  stooping  posi- 
tion, with  disheveled  hair  and  blistered  hands. 
"  The  next  in  order  is  the  steel  and  flint,  and  we'll 
soon  have  a  blazing  fire  in  the  old  stove,  that'll 
drive  away  the  blues  in  short  order." 

"But  the  room  is  so  dark,  the  walls  so  dreary 


226  Nicholas  Comenius. 

and  the  windows  so  small !  Oh,  I  fear  I  shall 
never  feel  at  home  under  such  conditions,"  comes 
the  plaint  of  our  disconsolate  schoolmaster,  as  he 
casts  his  eyes  upward  among  the  unhewn  rafters  in 
the  direction  of  a  ray  of  light  that  comes  through 
an  open  crevice. 

uAh,  my  old  master,  be  not  dismayed  at  the 
very  threshold  of  your  new  undertaking,"  sym- 
pathetically suggests  Nicholas,  laying  a  large,  bony 
hand  upon  his  shoulder;  "  there'  11  be  other  bless- 
ings coming  along  in  due  time  that  you've  never 
dreamed  of." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  was  the  rejoinder,  as  a  ray  of  hope 
dawned  upon  him ;  "  the  room  will  show  off  to 
much  better  advantage  with  a  new  set  of  improved 
furniture,  a  furnace  in  the  cellar,  and  when  the 
blackboard,  outline  maps,  mottoes  and  pictures  are 
arranged  along  the  walls.  Then  a  full  set  of 
Encyclopedia;  a  Webster's  International  Diction- 
ary; a  set  of  astronomical  charts;  a  line  of  geo- 
graphical and  historical  works ;  a  new  library  for 
the  use  of  the  pupils ;  the  daily  newspapers  and 
the  magazines — and  possibly  an  organ  to  help 
teach  the  young  folks  music.  With  these  neces- 
sary appliances  and  the  regular  visitations  by  the 
County  Superintendent,  I  think,"  he  added,  with  a 
half-suppressed  smile,  "  the  long  winter  days  may 
prove  very  pleasant  and  profitable  indeed.  Of 
course,  the  Board  have  made  provision  for  an  eight 
months'  term,  and  draw  their  check  promptly  at 


An  Hour  with  the  Past.  227 

the  end  of  each  month  ;  allow  for  a  week's  attend- 
ance at  the  County  Teachers'  Institute ;  provide 
for  uniform  free  text-books,  and  arrange  for  a  com- 
fortable boarding-place  for  the  teacher  within  easy 
reach  of  the  school?''  came  the  question,  as  he 
proceeded  to  thrust  a  chunk  of  hickory  into  the 
old  stove,  rub  his  eyes,  and  watch  the  curling 
smoke  as  it  circled  upward  along  the  pipe,  playing 
hide  and  seek  among  the  rafters  above. 

"Ho,  ho,  my  inexperienced  friend,"  retorted 
Nicholas,  as  he  saw  him  rush  to  the  window  and 
throw  up  the  sash,  that  came  down  with  a  bang 
on  one  of  his  ringers:  "Whence  came  you  and 
whither  are  you  drifting?  Who,  among  the  good 
people  of  Emden  district,  ever  heard  of  a  County 
Superintendent,  dr  an  outline  map?  Stop  your 
dreaming,  old  man,  and  prepare  to  meet  the  wild 
lads  who  are  already  pushing  their  way  toward  the 
door  of  the  school-house." 

A  moment  later,  with  a  tramp,  tramp,  comes  a 
troop  of  youngsters  of  all  ages  and  sizes,  crowding 
and  pushing  their  way  with  raw-hide  boots  and 
shoes,  on  and  over  the  tops  of  desks,  in  search  of 
a  peg  whereon  to  hang  their  dinner  baskets,  hats 
and  bonnets.  Order  being  restored,  the  arrange- 
ment of  classes  begins  and  an  account  of  stock  is 
taken.  But  what  a  conglomeration  of  text-books  ! 
— a  dozen  Spellers  of  various  names  and  of  as  many 
different  editions  ;  an  equal  number  of  Arithmetics, 
from  Pike's  and  Rose's  down  to  Emerson's  Part  III; 


228  Nicholas  Comenius. 

a  multiplity  of  editions  of  the  Bible.  A  few  sheets 
of  rough  paper  constitute  the  only  writing  material, 
with  ink  of  various  concoctions  in  bottles  of  every 
imaginable  shape.  Up  rushes  one  to  have  his 
quill  sharpened  or  mended,  while  another  steps 
forward  to  recite  his  lesson  alone  ;  a  third  is  using 
his  jack-knife  to  advantage  on  the  desk  before  him, 
while  a  fourth  is  initiating  the  new  master  into  the 
conditions  in  vogue  by  closing  up  the  chimney, 
thus  filling  the  room  with  a  cloud  of  smoke  so 
dense  as  to  eliminate  the  few  rays  of  sunlight  that 
had  found  their  way  through  the  dismal  windows. 
The  master  raps  and  thunders  for  order :  but  the 
louder  he  raps  the  more  unruly  the  school  be- 
comes ;  then  he  tenderly  appeals  to  their  young 
manhood,  gives  them  a  lesson  in  moral  suasion, 
reads  them  a  story  in  the  life  of  George  Washing- 
ton, prays  and  beseeches  them  to  preserve  order  for 
the  good  of  the  school.  In  the  midst  of  this  con- 
fusion in  steps  the  President  of  the  Board,  looks 
the  master  over,  and  says:  "It's  a  pretty  good  be- 
ginning you're  making ;"  but  with  that  the  bedlam 
of  sounds  recommences :  paper  wads  and  all  sorts 
of  missiles  are  hurled  at  his  head  ;  a  raw-hide  boot 
is  extended  here  or  there  over  which  he  lands 
sprawling  on  the  floor,  at  the  very  feet  of  the 
worthy  President.  When  he  rises,  he  appeals  for 
support  and  friendly  advice  in  his  dire  dilemma, 
but  is  met  with  the  retort :  "  Flog  'em  !  flail  'em  ! 
The  master  who  isn't  good  on  his  muscle  had  better 


An  Hour  with  the  Past.  229 

skip  this  neighborhood.  Wade  in,  old  man,  and 
give  the  ringleaders  a  good  trouncing,  and  it'll  be 
a  feather  in  your  cap  with  the  trustees !  No  use 
trying  to  keep  school  unless  you're  good  on  a 
tussle."  The  next  instant  the  entire  school's  in 
confusion,  and  with  a  hurrah  they  land  the  master 
hatless  and  coatless  in  the  playground  without — 

uWake  up,  young  man,  for  it's  only  a  trance 
into  which  you  have  fallen !  Want  to  linger 
longer  among  the  environments  of  the  old  house  ?" 
added  Nicholas.  u  No  ?  Then  follow  me !" 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

NICODEMUS  THE  ACADEMICIAN — THE  FREE  SCHOOL 
FIGHT — GIANTS  OF  THOSE   DAYS. 

PASSING  beyond  the  confines  of  the  last  remnant 
of  bygone  days,  the  old  school-house,  we  were 
startled  by  a  voice  from  beyond  the  majestic  oak : 

UA  bright,  crisp  November  morning,  Nicholas, 
my  old  friend. " 

"Why,"  retorted  Nicholas,  "how  do  you  do, 
Nicodemus  ?  Allow  me  to  introduce  to  you  these 
young  professional  gentlemen,  whom  the  institute 
very  kindly  appointed  as  my  escort  of  honor. " 
Then  turning,  he  added,  "  My  young  friends,  this 
is  the  venerable  Alonzo  Nicodemus,  the  worthy 
president  of  the  Collegiate  Institute  of  Emden 
town." 

"  Glad  to  meet  you  ;  yes,  always  glad  to  welcome 
a  committee  of  strangers  to  Emden  soil.  It  speaks 
well  for  the  town,  and  is  liable  at  almost  any  mo- 
ment to  start  a  financial  boom — something  most 
devoutly  to  be  wished  for,"  said  Nicodemus,  as  he 
grasped  each  by  the  hand.  Then,  with  a  change 
of  attitude,  he  continued :  u  Maybe  you're  about 
purchasing  a  farm,  or  may  be  you're  after  investing 
230 


Nicodemus  the  Academician.  231 

your  hard  cash  in  a  financial  enterprise?  Plenty 
of  eligible  corner  lots  still  lying  around,  waiting 
for  an  honest  investor,  who  isn't  afraid  to  risk  a 
dollar  in  a  growing  town." 

We  assured  him,  in  as  few  words  as  possible, 
that  the  object  of  our  visit  had  no  financial  signi- 
ficance. 

"Ah,  ha,  I  see,  I  see;  a  local  historian,  then, 
bent  on  writing  a  history  of  Emden  school  district. 
Well,  well,  who  would  have  thought  it?  It's  a 
mighty  fertile  field,  boys,  you've  struck;  richer 
than  a  gold  mine  that's  never  been  worked!  All 
that's  necessary  is  to  jot  down  all  the  facts  old 
Nicholas  Comenius  has  stored  away  in  his  memory, 
and  it'll  create  a  sensation,  sure  as  you  live ;  for 
there  isn't  another  place  in  America  where  the 
new  school  system's  had  a  harder  road  to  travel 
than  right  over  among  the  constituents  of  Shaky 
Hollow.  While  I'm  bearing  the  new  system  no  ill 
will,  my  young  friends,  I'm  not  more  than  half 
reconciled  to  the  havoc  it's  played  with  the  old 
academic  institutions  all  over  the  country.  The 
truth  is,  according  to  my  notions,  the  new  system, 
that  started  out  all  right  in  the  beginning,  hasn't 
been  making  a  very  creditable  showing  of  late 
years.  Since  the  State's  been  supplying  most  of 
the  cash,  that's  been  squeezed  out  of  the  taxpay- 
ers unbeknown  to  them,  it  appears  to  Nicodemus 
that  there's  too  much  show  and  expenditure  for 
the  practical  results  obtained.  Of  course  the  con- 


232  Nicholas  Comenius. 

stituents  aren't  saying  very  much,  but  they're 
doing  a  mighty  sight  of  thinking  in  a  quiet  way. 

"  What  the  public  want,  and  what  Nicholas 
Comenius  is  able  to  give,"  continued  Nicodemus, 
as  he  stroked  his  long  white  beard,  "  is  a  history 
that'll  give  the  poor  old  masters,  now  dead  and 
gone,  their  proper  place  before  the  young  educators 
of  the  country.  The  fact  is,  the  young  masters 
have  been  having  a  monopoly  of  the  history  busi- 
ness ;  for  there  hasn't  been  a  teachers'  meeting  for 
the  last  twenty  years  from  which  the  young  chaps 
haven't  gone  away  feeling  that  they  knew  more 
than  even  Pestalozzi  or  John  Amos  Comenius  did 
in  their  day.  It  don't  seem  more  than  half  right, 
my  boys,  that  the  old  masters,  who  invented  the 
machine  and  set  it  in  motion,  should  be  forgotten, 
while  the  young  professors  who  are  now  running  it 
under  high  pressure  should  have  all  the  glory. 
No  offense,  I  hope ;  only  giving  you  a  few  thoughts 
that  have  been  weighing  upon  my  mind  for  quite  a 
season,"  concluded  Nicodemus,  as  he  turned  to 
depart. 

"  One  of  the  old-timers,"  we  suggested,  as  Nico- 
demus passed  through  a  cluster  of  maples  and  en- 
tered an  antiquated  sandstone  structure,  with  four 
gables  and  gray  limestone  trimmings. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Nicholas,  aone  of  the  conserva- 
tives, full  of  reminiscences  of  bygone  days,  and  a 
little  given  to  old  fogyism,  You  see,"  he  con- 
tinued, as  his  voice  grew  stronger  and  his  step 


The  Free  School  Fight.  233 

more  elastic,  "  disappointments,  if  they  come  singly 
and  during  early  life,  may  in  time  be  forgotten  or 
healed  over;  but  if  they  come  too  late  or  too  often, 
they  at  last  embitter  our  whole  nature.  There  was 
a  time,  my  young  friends,  some  sixty  years  ago, 
when  yonder  old  Seminary  building  was  among 
the  most  pretentious  of  its  class  in  the  Common- 
wealth. Like  hundreds  of  others,  its  promoters,  at 
the  time  the  common  school  system  was  inaugu- 
rated, instead  of  giving  encouragement  to  the  cause 
of  universal  education,  either  stood  aloof  or  joined 
the  army  of  dissenters.  Liberally  endowed  as 
many  of  these  worthy  institutions  were  by  private 
bequests,  they  believed  they  could  afford  to  bid  de- 
fiance to  a  system  of  "schools  that  were  to  be  the 
common  heritage  of  all,  supported  by  the  strong 
arm  of  the  State.  Experience  has  shown  their 
mistake. 

u  It  is  an  historical  fact,  although  not  generally 
remembered,  that  the  four  years  from  1834  to 
1838  were  the  most  eventful  in  the  annals  of  school 
legislation  in  Pennsylvania.  It  is  true  the  story 
has  been  often  told  in  connection  with  other  polit- 
ical events,  but  it  still  remains  for  some  modern 
educator  to  gather  and  present  the  facts  from  the 
standpoint  of  our  day,  as  an  inspiration  to  the  ris- 
ing generation. 

"  Yes,  my  young  friends/ J  continued  Comenius, 
as  we  stood  facing  the  old  Seminary  building, 
"how  many  of  the  rank  and  file  of  Pennsylvania's 


234  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ariny  of  teachers  can  intelligently  portray  to  those 
under  their  charge  the  stirring  events  in  the  balls 
of  legislation  during  those  four  memorable  years 
away  back  in  the  thirties?  They  are  familiar  with 
the  pages  of  American  history  from  the  landing  of 
Columbus  down  to  the  present  day;  even  the  names 
of  the  three  little  ships  of  the  daring  old  mariner 
of  four  hundred  years  ago,  when  he  set  sail  from 
Palos,  are  daily  being  impressed  upon  the  youthful 
mind.  The  names  of  distinguished  Pennsylva- 
nians,  from  William  Penn  down  to  the  men  of  our 
own  day,  embellish  the  pages  of  the  school  history; 
but  how  many  know  the  names  and  services  of 
George  Wolf,  Joseph  Ritner,  Thaddeus  Stevens  and 
Thomas  H.  Burrowes,  that  quaternion  of  Pennsyl- 
vania's noblest  names,  which  are  too  often  passed 
over  with  only  the  slightest  reference  ?  Which  of 
our  modern  school  Readers  contains  an  extract 
from  the  great  speech  of  Stevens,  delivered  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  1835?  How  many 
of  our  teachers  are  sufficiently  informed  on  these 
points  to  have  imbibed  the  spirit  of  these  great 
educators  of  the  past  generation,  so  that  they  can 
picture  to  the  next  the  incalculable  blessings  that 
we  have  reaped  through  those  men's  efforts  in 
behalf  of  the  organization  and  the  preservation  of 
the  common  school  system?  True,  the  initial  step 
has  lately  been  taken,  as  it  should  be,  by  the  State 
Teachers'  Association,  whose  committee,  with  the 
liberal-minded  McCaskey  at  its  head,  has  placed  a' 


The  Free  School  Fight.  235 

life-size  picture  of  Burrowes  in  nearly  every  school 
in  the  Commonwealth. 

"Ah,"  continued  Nicholas — pointing  to  a  slab 
directly  over  the  doorway  on  which  was  engraved, 
Erected  in  1790 — "it  was  in  that  year  that 
the  Constitution  of  Pennsylvania  was  adopted. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  from  the  time  of  the  first 
Governor,  Thomas  Mifflin,  down  to  the  year  in 
which  the  new  system  was  inaugurated,  each  of 
the  seven  Executives  in  his  message  to  the  Legisla- 
ture made  some  reference  to  a  system  of  schools  for 
the  education  of  the  masses  at  the  public  expense. 
Men  of  all  shades  of  political  opinion  had  studied 
the  question  in  the  abstract,  with  the  hope  that  the 
time  might  come  sooner  or  later  when  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  every  Pennsylvanian,  whether  of 
high  or  low  degree,  might  enjoy  a  perfect  equality 
in  educational  privileges. 

"  It  was  during  the  campaign  of  George  Wolf,  in 
1829,  if  I  remember  correctly,"  said  Comenius,  as 
we  moved  away  from  the  old  Seminary,  uthat 
James  Buchanan,  in  a  public  speech,  uttered  these 
remarkable  words:  'If  ever  the  passions  of  men 
could  be  excused  in  a  man  ambitious  of  true  glory, 
he  might  almost  be  justified  in  envying  the  fame 
of  that  favored  individual  whom  Providence  in- 
tends to  make  the  instrument  in  establishing  com- 
mon schools  throughout  the  Commonwealth.  Ages 
yet  unborn  and  nations  yet  behind  shall  bless  his 
memory. ' 


236 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


Little  did  Mr  Buchanan  think  that  within  five 
short  years,  plain  George  Wolf,  of  Northampton 
county,  would  be  that  favored  individual  whom 
Providence  had  ordained  to  subscribe  his  signature 
to  a  law  that  was  to  be  a  blessing  to  generations 


GOV.  GEORGE  WOI/F. 


yet  unborn.  But,  though  the  Rubicon  was  passed, 
it  was  merely  the  first  skirmish  in  the  great  battle. 
"To  pass  the  act  creating  the  new  system  was  a 
victory  over  which  the  friends  of  education  might 
well  rejoice ;  but  to  put  it  into  successful  operation 


The  Free  School  Fight.  237 

among  a  people  many  of  whom  believed  that  edu- 
cation was  not  only  useless  but  dangerous,  was 
quite  another  question.  Cumbrous  and  unwieldy, 
it  served  but  to  stir  up  the  deepest  feeling  of  oppo- 
sition in  all  parts  of  the  Commonwealth.  Though 
the  education  of  the  people  was  enjoined  by  the 
constitution  as  a  solemn  duty  which  could  not  be 
neglected  without  disregard  of  the  moral  and  polit- 
ical safety  of  the  people,  the  principle  was  contrary 
to  the  traditions  and  beliefs  of  more  than  one-half 
the  people  of  the  State. 

"There  was  one  saving  provision  of  the  act, 
however,  that  prevented  what  otherwise  might 
have  resulted  in  anarchy  or  revolution.  The  bill 
provided  ( that  when  any  township  or  district  in 
any  school  division  votes  in  the  negative  on  the 
question  of  accepting  this  law,  said  township  ot 
district  shall  not  be  compelled  to  accept  the  same.' 
This  mild  provision,  which  was  strictly  in  con- 
formity with  the  constitution  and  the  theory  of 
free  government,  threw  the  responsibility  of  accept- 
ing or  rejecting  the  system  directly  upon  the  peo- 
ple of  the  various  districts,  to  be  decided  at  a 
special  election,  the  result  of  which  was  that  in 
nearly  half  the  districts  the  system  was  rejected  by 
large  majorities. 

"It  was  to  the  incoming  legislature,  that  of 
1835,  that  the  people  anxiously  looked  forward. 
The  system,  it  was  argued,  had  been  tried  and 
found  wanting.  In  the  Senate  a  proposition  for 


Nicholas  Comeniits. 


repeal  was  adopted,  and  the  Act  of  1809 — that  for 
educating  the  poor  gratis— substituted.  From  the 
Senate  the  resolution  went  to  the  House,  among 
whose  members  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  repeal 
of  the  ( iniquitous '  free  school  system  was  even 


V  THADDEUS   STEVENS. 

more  pronounced,  as  many  of  them,  like  the  Sen- 
ators, had  been  elected  on  a  strictly  free  school  issue. 
"  The  battle  opened  with  the  forces  of  the  oppo- 
sition jubilant  and  expectant.  On  one  side  of  the 
House  sat  young  Thaddeus  Stevens,  surrounded 


UNIVERSITY 

The  Free  School  Fight. 

by  a  few  faithful  adherents,  calm  and  self-reliant. 
When  the  critical  moment  came,  he  took  his  posi- 
tion in  the  broad  middle  aisle  facing  the  speaker's 
desk.  Wrought  up  to  a  pitch  of  intense  excite- 
ment, he  there  delivered  the  greatest  speech  of  his 
life.  It  was  in  the  closing  sentences,  so  full  of 
inspiration,  that  he  uttered  that  startling  and 
majestic  declaration  :  ( I  shall  place  myself  unhesi- 
tatingly in  the  ranks  of  him  whose  banner  streams 
in  lights 

"  At  the  conclusion,  the  House  broke  into  the 
wildest  excitement  of  delight.  The  magical  sen- 
tence was  caught  up  and  passed  from  lip  to  lip. 
Before  the  vote  was  taken  it  was  felt  that  the 
Senate  bill  was  beaten,  and  the  system,  even  in  its 
crude  form,  respited  at  least  for  another  year. 
A  moment  later  the  good  news  had  prevaded  every 
department  of  State,  to  be  transmitted  by  friend 
and  foe  to  every  portion  of  the  Commonwealth, 
with  congratulation  on  the  one  hand  and  denunci- 
ation on  the  other.  When  Stevens  entered  the 
Executive  Chamber,  in  response  to  an  invitation, 
Governor  Wolf  threw  his  arms  around  the  neck  of 
his  old  political  enemy  and  with  broken  voice  and 
tearful  eyes  thanked  him  for  the  great  service  he 
had  rendered  the  cause  of  humanity. 

"Thus,  my  young  friends,"  said  Comenius, 
"  ends  the  first  chapter  in  the  history  of  a  struggle 
for  free  schools,  that  should  be  indelibly  engraved 
upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  young  and  old.  At 


240 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


the  following  session  of  the  Legislature,  that  of 
1836,  the  battle  was  renewed  under  somewhat 
altered  conditions.  Governor  Wolf  had  been  de- 
feated, and  Joseph  Ritner  installed  as  his  successor, 
with  Thomas  H.  Burrowes  as  Secretary  of  State. 


GOV.  JOSEPH  RITNER. 

For  a  time  the  firmest  friends  of  the  cause  stood  in 
doubt,  hoping  that  the  much-abused  system  might 
find  in  the  newly-elected  Governor  and  his  official 
adviser  friends  instead  of  foes. 

uTo  the  surprise  of  the  most  ardent  advocates 


The  Free  School  Fight.  241 

of  the  system,  as  well  as  to  the  astonishment  and 
indignation  of  its  enemies,  Burrowes  had  prepared, 
before  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature,  a  new  bill, 
eliminating  many  of  the  undesirable  features  of  the 
Act  of  1834,  and  embodying  such  important  addi- 
tions as  the  most  careful  observation  and  investi- 
gation could  suggest.  After  a  contest  such  as  has 
never  been  equaled  in  school  legislation,  this  act 
passed  both  houses  of  the  Legislature. 

u  It  was  now,  as  many  predicted,  to  meet  its 
doom  at  the  hands  of  the  new  Governor,  Joseph 
Ritner,  the  descendant  of  a  long  line  of  Dutch 
ancestors.  For  Ritner,  a  native  of  4  Old  Berks/ 
and  a  self-made  man,  rising  from  obscurity  by  the 
force  of  his  own  high  qualities  to  the  position  of 
Chief  Magistrate,  to  fasten  upon  his  unwilling 
constituency  a  measure  as  iniquitous  as  the  com- 
mon school  system  was  pictured  to  be,  was  counted 
as  scarcely  within  the  range  of  possibility.  But  it 
was  not  the  nature  of  Ritner  to  allow  a  victory 
achieved  under  such  trying  circumstances  to  be 
lost  to  a  free  Commonwealth.  His  own  early  trials 
and  discouragements,  his  lack  of  opportunity  to 
press  forward  in  the  field  of  activity  as  a  struggling 
youth,  had  implanted  within  his  strong  nature  a 
desire  to  open  to  others  an  easier  road  to  that 
knowledge  which  came  to  him  only  under  the 
most  unfavorable  circumstances. 

"  To  attest  the  old  Governor's  undying  love  for 
the  free  school  system,  it  may  be  only  necessary  to 
16 


242 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


add,"  continued  Comenius,  "that  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three,  Joseph  Ritner  was  appointed,  in  the 
year  1861,  by  his  old  friend  Thomas  H.  Burrowes, 
then  Superintendent  of  Schools,  as  one  of  the  in- 
spectors of  the  Edinboro  Normal  School.  To  be 


THOMAS   H.  BURROWES. 


present   at   its   dedication    he    traveled   over   five 
hundred  miles  by  rail  and  stage.     Joseph   Ritner 
deserves  that  his  portrait  be  displayed  with  that  of 
Burrowes  in  every  school-house  in  Pennsylvania. 
"  But  if  at  that  early  day  the  action  of  Governor 


The  Free  School  Fight.  243 

Ritner  and  his  enthusiastic  Secretary  of  State,  in 
the  enforcement  of  the  new  law,  was  considered 
an  arbitrary  assumption  of  authority,  twenty  years 
later  it  was  looked  upon  as  a  righteous  act  in  com- 
parison with  the  passage  and  enforcement  of  the 
law  creating  the  office  of  County  Superintendent 
of  schools.  In  the  eyes  of  many  this  legislative 
act  was  equaled  only  by  the  Boston  Stamp  Act  of 
1765.  Protest  after  protest  was  hurled  at  the  De- 
partment of  State,  from  all  parts  of  the  Common- 
wealth. Many  were  outspoken  in  their  wrath, 
claiming  that  the  law  had  inflicted  a  fatal  stab 
upon  their  cherished  rights,  and  that  religious  lib- 
erty was  a  thing  of  the  past  in  free  America. 

"  And  yet  with  the  passage  of  this  most  benefi- 
cient  law  creating  county  supervision,  which  super- 
seded the  *  squire  and  committeemen,'  came  the 
long  line  of  modern  methods,  theories  and  school- 
room appliances.  The  black-boards,  outline  maps, 
works  on  teaching,  made  their  way  into  the  school 
on  every  side.  Pike's  Arithmetic,  Cobb's  Spell- 
ing-book and  the  old  English  Reader  fell  by  the 
wayside.  In  this  evolution,  more  radical  in  its 
scope  than  the  inauguration  of  the  system  itself, 
the  log  school  house,  the  slab  benches  and  the  rod, 
as  well  as  the  conservative  schoolmaster,  disap- 
peared, and  the  school-boy's  millennium,  like  a 
bright  ray  of  hope,  dawned  in  the  midst  of  the 
surrounding  gloom. ' ' 

It    is    through    this    early     period,    embraced 


244  Nicholas  Comenius. 

between  the  years  '34  and  '54,  when  people  begatl 
to  see  the  immense  power  exercised  by  educa- 
tion over  moral,  intellectual  and  physical  condi- 
tions, and  found  in  it,  when  properly  conducted, 
the  surest  guarantee  against  individual  vices  and 
political  corruption,  that  I  would  ask  the  reader  to 
follow  Nicholas  Comenius,  the  aged  historian.  It 
is  to  this  history  of  the  schools  of  Blackwell 
county,  hitherto  largely  enveloped  in  tradition, 
and  transmitted,  like  many  a  fairy  tale,  from 
ancestor  to  posterity,  that  the  succeeding  pages 
will  be  largely  devoted.  The  following  picture  of 
the  first  examination,  of  which  Nicholas  Comenius 
was  an  interested  eye-witness,  may  be  somewhat 
highly  colored,  but  in  the  main  it  reflects  the  con- 
ditions as  they  existed  in  many  parts  of  Pennsyl- 
vania nearly  two  generations  ago. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

OPPOSITION  TO  THE  SYSTEM— IMPROVED  ELECTION 
METHOD — THE  SQUIRE  AND  THE  OLD  MASTERS. 

"  HAS  Nicholas  Comenius  forgotten  the  first 
attempt  to  force  the  new  system  upon  the  people 
of  Emden  district?  No;  but  it's  a  long  story,  that 
lias  never  been  told,  and  it's  been  a  long  time  ago, 
and  did  more  to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  old  town 
than  the  running  of  the  first  locomotive  through 
Blackwell  county.  You  see,  my  young  friend, 
while  the  taxpayers  had  been  hearing  of  its  opera- 
tions in  other  sections  of  the  State,  many  of  them 
had  made  up  their  minds,  from  the  first  day  the 
law  was  passed,  that  the  old  way  of  educating 
their  children  suited  them  better  than  the  new. 
And  so  when  an  effort  was  made  to  put  the  new 
system  in  operation,  they  declared  at  a  mass  meet- 
ing, by  a  series  of  resolutions,  that  they  didn't 
want  outsiders  to  be  forcing  any  of  their  pernicious 
doctrines  upon  the  people  of  Emden  district.  But 
it  didn't  end  there;  for  the  masters,  who  were 
set  in  their  ways,  got  to  arguing  that  the  adoption 
of  the  new  system  meant  the  loss  of  their  occupa- 
tion— and  in  this  they  wern't  very  far  out  of  the 
way,"  suggested  Nicholas. 


246  Nicholas  Comenius. 


u  • 


'  But  the  worst  opposition  came  from  Old 
Parson  Hoskins,  who  kept  preaching  against  the 
new  law,  and  telling  his  congregation  that  as  the 
world  was  coming  to  an  end  before  long  anyway, 
they'd  better  keep  their  hands  off  the  wicked  State 
system,  otherwise  they'd  be  sure  to  be  left  behind 
when  Ascension  day  came  around.  Yes,  it  was  the 
spiritual  advice  of  the  old  minister  that  settled  the 
system  for  a  time;  and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the 
cunning  and  ingenuity  of  old  Squire  Benton,  pool- 
old  Jimmy  McCune,  the  master,  wouldn't  have 
died  of  a  broken  heart  long  before  his  time,  and 
old  Jeremiah  wouldn't  have  spent  the  last  years  of 
his  life  in  the  workhouse  041  account  of  the  loss  of 
his  calling. 

u  Now  it  came  about  in  a  rather  peculiar  way, 
and  while  it  mayn't  be  very  creditable  to  the 
memory  of  Squire  Benton,  who  has  long  since 
passed  beyond  the  river,  from  whence  no  old 
Squire  ever  returns,  still  it's  part  of  the  record,  and 
it  isn't  Nicholas  Comenius  that's  going  to  suppress 
any  of  the  unwritten  facts  that  belong  to  the  early 
history  of  Emden  district.  While  the  Squire  at 
first  caught  the  constituents  napping,  the  law- 
makers, inspired  by  young  Thaddeus  Stevens, 
were  too  smart  for  even  Squire  Benton,  as  you'll 
soon  discover. 

"It  was  on  a  rainy  day  along  about  Christmas, 
that  the  Squire  and  Ebenezer  Lukins,  President 
of  the  Board,  put  their  heads  together  in  the  back 


Opposition  to  the  System.  247 

office  and  began  to  tackle  the  provisions  of  the 
new  law.  When  they  had  given  it  a  pretty  careful 
examination,  the  squire  went  into  the  next  room 
to  meditate,  as  was  his  custom,  and  when  he  came 
out  he  said,  'It's  all  right,  and  a  tolerably  fair 
state  paper  for  a  lot  of  legislators  to  pass.  So  I 
guess  we'll  give  it  a  chance,  as  it  don't  differ  in 
any  particular  from  the  old,  except  in  raising 
money  from  the  taxes  to  pay  the  masters,  instead 
of  letting  the  little  ones  pay  by  the  day  as  before — 
a  mighty  uncertain  way  of  keeping  school  at  best.' 
Then  holding  the  bill  before  him,  and  pointing 
with  his  long  finger,  he  said:  (See;  it  don't  con- 
template any  new  teachers,  or  new  books,  or  new 
school-houses,  and  in  no  way  interferes  with  the 
masters'  boarding  around.  Best  of  all,'  said  he, 
with  a  smile  and  a  sly  wink  of  his  left  eye,  ( it 
leaves  the  examining  in  the  hands  of  the  Squire, 
which  is  very  right  and  proper,  and  protects  the 
old  masters  as  before.' 

"But  the  constituents  who  didn't  have  any 
youngsters  of  their  own  to  educate,  shook  their 
heads  and  declared  they  wouldn't  pay  taxes  to 
educate  other  people's  children  ;  and  so  when  elec- 
tion day  came  round  they  voted  down  the  system 
by  a  large  majority.  This  was  more  than  the 
Squire  had  counted  on,  and  so  the  very  next  year 
he  started  through  the  district  on  an  electioneering 
tour;  but  with  all  his  argument  and  persuasion 
the  result  was  the  same. 


248  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"  Now  while  old  Orlando  Hoskins  was  congratu- 
lating the  members  of  his  flock,  and  while  the 
constituents  were  rejoicing  over  the  defeat  of  the 
new  system,  the  Squire  was  planning  and  studying, 
so  that  by  the  time  the  next  election  day  came 
around  he  had  invented  a  scheme  which  brought 
the  answer,  with  a  big  lot  of  votes  that  he  didn't 
have  any  use  for.  It  was  the  Squire's  own  inven- 
tion, and  for  years  he  kept  right  along  selling  out 
his  patent  to  other  districts  that  had  the  intelli- 
gence to  understand  how  to  work  it. 

u  You  see,  the  squire  handled  all  the  tickets,  as 
was  his  custom,  and  the  day  before  the  election  he 
wrote  the  word  '  SCHOOL  '  with  jet  black  ink  on 
each  ticket;  then  he  took  a  fresh  quill,  moistened 
it  with  saliva  and  wrote  the  word  'No'  in  large 
letters  right  before  the  word  School;  and  when  he 
emptied  the  sand  on  it,  there  was  the  ticket  with 
No  SCHOOL  so  plain  that  anybody  could  read  it 
without  spectacles.  Next  morning  bright  and 
early  the  Squire  planted  himself  right  at  the  place 
where  the  voting  was  going  on,  and  as  each  con- 
stituent came  up  he  got  a  ticket,  and  when  he 
looked  at  it  and  saw  the  words  No  SCHOOL,  he 
smiled,  nodded  his  head,  and  in  it  went.  When 
the  election  was  over  and  the  counting  began,  the 
Squire  carefully  rubbed  each  ticket  between  his 
fingers,  and  then  handed  it  over  to  the  election 
clerks,  who  recorded  it  on  the  tally  sheets,  which 
they  signed  and  turned  over  to  the  Squire,  who 


Improved  Election  Method.  249 

proclaimed  the  system  adopted  by  nearly  every 
vote. 

When  the  news  became  known  over  the  district 
that  the  majority  of  the  constituents  had  voted  for 
the  new  system,  there  was  more  commotion  than 
ever  was  seen  at  a  first-class  county  fair.  Bright 
and  early  the  morning  following  election,  crowds 
of  angry  tax-payers  from  Shaky  Hollow,  headed 
by  Parson  Hoskins,  began  to  gather  around  the 
Squire's  office,  examining  the  returns  and  clamor- 
ing to  see  the  tickets;  but  there  they  were,  with 
only  the  world  (  SCHOOL, '  and  no  mistaking  it. 
Legal  proceedings  were  at  last  instituted  against 
the  election  clerks  for  tampering  with  the  votes; 
but  they  were  acquitted  of  course,  because  no  one 
could  see  through  the  new  scheme  the  Squire  had 
invented  for  running  the  school  election.  To  their 
dying  day  many  believed  and  said  that  old  Squire 
Benton  knew  more  about  the  returns  than  he  was 
willing  to  disclose,  and  that  old  Satan  himself  was 
at  the  head  of  the  new  system.  But  Squire  Benton 
only  smiled,  and  kept  the  secret  locked  up  in  his 
bosom. 

"  Rather  a  doubtful  statement,  think  you,  my 
young  friends  ?"  queried  Nicholas,  as  he  noticed 
a  look  of  surprise  on  some  of  our  countenances. 
"True,  every  word;  and  while  it  could  not  be  de- 
fended on  the  principles  of  honor  and  justice,  it  was 
in  those  early  days  considered  simply  as  a  means  to 
an  end.  You  see,  the  system  had  become  part  of 


250  Nicholas  Comemus. 

the  law  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  to  enforce  its 
provisions  was  considered  a  sacred  duty  on  the  part 
of  the  progressives,  while  the  conservatives  were 
equally  sincere  in  their  opposition,  believing  it  to 
be  their  religious  duty  to  oppose  it  by  every  means 
within  their  power.  With  them,  to  spend  time 
over  books  was  worse  than  so  much  waste;  for  they 
believed  that  every  able-bodied  person,  old  or 
young,  was  in  duty  bound  to  employ  his  time  in 
useful  manual  labor.  On  the  other  hand,  with 
Justice  Benton  it  was  simply  a  matter  of  political 
expediency,  as  a  better  acquaintance  with  the 
Squire  will  ultimately  show. 

uFor  a  long  time  the  new  system  kept  moving 
along  pretty  much  in  the  old  way,  with  little  im- 
provement, either  in  the  line  of  new  methods, 
school  appliances  or  new  school  buildings, n  con- 
tinued Nicholas,  as  we  returned  to  the  old- 
fashioned  sitting-room  of  his  home.  "  As  Squire 
Benton  held  the  enviable  position  of  examiner 
under  the  old  system,  so  he  was  equally  fortunate 
in  holding  the  same  position  for  nearly  a  score  of 
years  under  the  new.  For  over  two  decades,  as 
shown  by  the  records,  no  vacancy,  through  death 
or  resignation,  had  been  known  to  occur  in  any  of 
the  schools  of  Emden  district.  In  fact,  the  eight 
old  masters  were  as  much  a  part  of  the  system  as 
the  Squire  himself.  With  these  old-timers,  it  was 
not  a  question  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  but- 
rather  one  of  physical  endurance.  In  due  course 


The  Squire  and  the  Old  Masters.        251 

of  time,  however,  through  a  most  important  legis- 
lative enactment,  a  radical  change  swept  over 
Blackwell  county,  not  unlike  a  cyclone  over  the 
prairie;  and  within  a  few  years  thereafter  the  eight 
old  schoolmasters,  like  hundreds  of  others,  fell  by 
the  wayside,  one  after  the  other,  to  be  followed  in 
time  by  the  aged  Squire. 

"It  was  during  the  month  of  May  in  the  year 
1854,  that  the  first  Directors'  convention  was  held 
in  the  old  court  house.  Fortunately  or  unfortu- 
nately, a  young  New  England  Normal  school 
graduate,  with  ideas  far  in  advance  of  the  educa- 
tional sentiment  of  the  times,  was  elected  County 
Superintendent  of  Blackwell  county.  It  was  the 
day  after  the  election  took  place,  if  I  remember 
correctly, "  continued  Nicholas,  casting  his  eye  in 
the  direction  of  the  old  school-house,  uthat 
Jimmy,  the  master  of  the  village  school,  with  the 
seven  other  old  masters,  was  summoned  to  Squire 
Benton's  office  to  hear  the  news. 

"'For  more  than  thirty  years,  my  worthy  co- 
workers,'  exclaimed  the  Squire,  with  a  doleful 
shake  of  the  head,  4  it  has  been  my  pleasure  to 
extend  the  hand  of  good-fellowship  to  one  and  all 
of  you.  At  each  annual  examination  held  in  this 
office,  your  character  and  educational  standing 
have  never  been  questioned.  But  now  your  liber- 
ties and  the  rights  of  the  honorable  School  Board 
of  Emden  district  are  to  be  trampled  in  the  dust 
by  the  iron  heel  of  oppression.  Are  we,  as  free- 


252  Nicholas  Content  us. 

men,  to  stand  idly  by  without  seeking  to  be 
avenged  on  this  presumptuous  tyrant  who  pro- 
poses to  usurp  the  rights  of  every  examining 
committee  in  Blackwell  county?  The  day  has 
been  set  apart  for  you,  the  conscientious  school- 
masters of  Emden  district,  to  meet  this  official  and 
undergo  an  examination  in  all  the  new-fangled 
branches  that  the  new  system  has  invented.  Are 
you,  my  old  friends,  prepared  to  enter  into  compe- 
tition with  perhaps  an  equal  number  of  dandified 
professors,  who  are  ready  to  flock  into  the  district 
from  distant  Normal  schools'?  Are  you  prepared 
to  meet  this  young  professional  tyrant?  You  have 
my  sympathy,  old  men,  and  when  the  fatal  hour 
comes  round,  you  shall  have  Squire  Benton's  en- 
couragement and  support. ' 

"  'We'll  bar  the  door  and  smoke  him  out,'  came 
the  reply  from  Patrick  McDeever,  the  master  of 
Shaky  Hollow  school. 

"'Oh,  that  will  never  do,'  retorted  the  Squire. 
4  A  justice  of  the  peace  is  bound  to  maintain  the 
law.  It's  the  Squire  that'll  be  on  hand  with  a 
pointer  or  two,  my  faithful  old  friends.  Yes,  yes, 
keep  a  sharp  eye  on  Squire  Ben  ton  for  a  shake  of 
the  head  or  a  sly  wink  of  his  left  eye.  And  now, 
my  old  schoolmasters,  as  there's  no  time  to  be  lost, 
it  might  be  well  to  be  looking  up  the  old  text- 
books, so  that  you  won't  be  caught  napping.' 

"At  the  conclusion  of  the  Squire's  address,  the 
eight  old  masters  arose  from  the  long  bench  and 


The  Squire  and  the  Old  Masters.        253 

passed,  one  after  another,    out   into  a  world  that 
seemed  suddenly  to  have  grown  colder. 

u  Now,  my  young  friends,"  continued  Nicholas, 
uthe  Squire,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  the  most 
important  public  functionary  in  Black  well  county. 
In  law  and  politics  he  stood  preeminently  without 
a  rival,  as  all  were  ready  to  admit  who,  on  more 
than  one  momentous  occasion,  had  heard  him  ad- 
dressing his  constituents  on  the  political  issues  of 
the  day.  But  it  was  before  the  School  Board  that 
the  Squire  always  appeared  at  his  best.  His  dress 
on  these  occasions,  which  corresponded  with  that 
worn  by  the  gentry  of  pre-Revolutionary  times, 
was  out  of  all  comparison  with  the  plain  home- 
spun worn  by  many  of  the  sturdy  tillers  of  the  soil. 
His  stylish  beaver  gave  to  his  stout  and  stubby 
form  dignity  and  grace;  his  breeches  were  of  the 
finest  sheep-skin;  his  coat,  with  large  cuffs,  wide 
skirt,  lined  and  stiffened  with  buckram,  and 
wadded  almost  like  a  coverlet  to  keep  it  smooth, 
contrasted  favorably  with  his  plaited  neck-stock, 
with  its  large  silver  buckle.  This  ornament  kept 
his  shoulders  in  close  relation  with  his  cranium,  in 
which  was  stored  all  the  knowledge  and  wisdom 
of  Emden  district.  Yes,  yes,  the  old  Squire  was 
generous  to  a  fault,  was  kind  and  accommodating, 
and  when  election  day  came  round,  the  boys  always 
got  the  benefit  of  his  advice,  while  he  gathered  in 
the  votes  to  suit  his  own  convenience — a  pretty 
even  exchange, "  laughed  our  genial  narrator. 


2 54  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"  If  any  dispute  arose  among  the  constituents  of 
the  district,  he  settled  it  to  the  satisfaction  of  all. 
They  didn't  go  lawing  as  nowadays,  but  trusted 
their  little  differences  to  Squire  Benton,  and  when 
he  gave  his  decision,  there  was  no  appealing  to  a 
higher  court.  After  each  important  election  he'd 
start  for  the  old  court  house  to  meet  the  Board  of 
Return  Judges,  with  the  returns  securely  stored 
away  in  the  inside  pocket  of  his  great-coat. 
Whether  the  Squire  was  early  or  late  made  little 
difference,  as  the  result  could  always  be  estimated 
within  a  vote  or  two.  You  see,  my  young  friends," 
said  Nicholas,  ufew  of  the  leading  politicians  of 
Blackwell  county,  in  those  days,  possessed  this  in- 
tuitive knowledge  to  a  greater  degree  than  Thomas 
Benton.  Indeed,  it  often  became  necessary  on  the 
very  eve  of  an  important  election  for  the  Squire  to 
reverse  himself — in  other  words,  to  advocate  the 
very  measures  he  had  been  opposing  just  before. 
You  see,  the  Squire  bore  the  same  relation  to  the 
political  world  that  Parson  Hoskins  bore  to  the 
spiritual;  so  that  with  the  Squire  on  the  one  hand 
and  the  Parson  on  the  other,  there  was  little  possi- 
bility of  any  portion  of  the  community  going  far 
astray. 

"  And  as  the  Squire  managed  the  politics  of  the 
district,  so  he  managed  the  schools, "  continued 
Nicholas,  getting  back  to  the  thread  of  his  story. 
"He  always  kept  a  sharp  eye  on  the  eight  old 
masters,  but  made  them  feel  that  he  was  their 


The  Squire  and  the  Old  Masters.        255 

friend.  The  day  before  his  annual  examination  he 
would  summon  them  all  before  him.  There  on 
his  broad-topped  desk  were  arranged  dozens  of  vol- 
umes, bearing  on  almost  every  conceivable  sub- 
ject. Then,  with  all  the  dignity  at  his  command, 
he  proceeded  to  address  them,  by  way  of  impress- 
ing them  with  what  they  might  be  expected  to 
meet  on  the  day  following :  *  Another  year  has 
gone  by,  my  faithful  educators/  he  would  say, 
'  and  another  examination  day  is  near  at  hand ! 
Hope  you've  all  been  improving  your  time,  and 
that  you'll  be  ready  to  toe  the  mark  by  high  noon 
to-morrow  !  You  see,  rny  old  friends,  a  full  line 
of  applications  has  been  pouring  in  on  the  Justice 
from  a  class  of  young  Normal  school  graduates 
from  over  the  State  line.  They  all  seem  anxious 
to  serve  your  constituents,  and  claim  to  be  prepared 
to  stand  a  most  thorough  examination  in  all  the 
latest  improved  text-books,  many  samples  of  which 
are  before  me,  and  to  which  I  have  been  giving 
most  careful  consideration.  These  are  stirring 
times,  Timothy,  (whom  I  see  dozing  before  me,) 
and  it  behooves  one  and  all  to  be  on  the  lookout 
for  new  and  advanced  ideas. ' 

"  A  general  stiffening  up  took  place  all  along  the 
line,  when,  directing  special  attention  to  certain 
letters  before  him,  he'd  add:  c  Here's  an  import- 
ant official  communication  from  the  Secretary  of 
State,  calling  the  Squire's  attention  to  one  or  two 
new  branches  that  have  but  recently  been  added  to 


256  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  school  room  curriculum — a  newly  invented 
term,  by  the  way — any  one  of  you  able  to  spell  it, 
eh  ?'  And  so  the  word  goes  the  round  until  it 
reaches  Gad  Day,  the  walking  encyclopedia  of 
Shaky  Mountain,  who  manages  to  spell  it  correctly. 

u  '  Now  it  may  be  necessary  for  the  examiner  to 
reach  out  along  new  lines  of  advanced  thought. 
Here  for  instance  is  a  new  work  on  United  States 
History,  telling  all  about  the  war  between  this 
grand  old  country  and  Mexico,  a  subject  that's 
been  agitating  Congress  and  old  Zachary  Taylor 
for  quite  a  spell :  and  here's  a  Geography  and  Atlas 
— two  works  in  one,  or  rather  one  for  the  master 
and  the  other  for  the  youngsters,  if  my  understand- 
ing of  the  two  volumes  is  correct ;  but  as  the  time's 
not  yet  ripe  for  the  study  of  Geography,  it  had 
better  be  laid  aside  with  the  History  until  you 
have  a  call  for  it  from  the  constituents. 

"  *  Here  is,  however,  a  very  important  pamphlet, 
calling  attention  to  some  recent  inventions,  called 
globes,  outline  maps,  black-boards,  charts,  and  a 
treatise  on  a  new  system  for  keeping  school  with- 
out the  use  of  the  shillalah,  entitled  Moral  Suasion; 
and  another,  on  Theory  of  Teaching.  These  latter 
subjects,  men,  have  been  puzzling  the  brain  of  the 
Squire  more  than  a  district  election.  Seems  im- 
possible to  get  the  hang  of  the  new-fangled 
schemes  !  I've  been  writing  the  author  of  this 
treatise,  as  he  calls  it,  for  information,  and  here's 
his  reply  :  "  Moral  Suasion,"  he  writes,  upresup- 


The  Squire  and  the  Old  Masters.        257 

poses  the  governing  a  school  from  the  higher 
standpoint  of  the  moral  attributes  of  the  ideality 
of  the  teacher,  when  brought  into  the  closest  rela- 
tionship with  the  inner  nature  of  the  child. "  And 
that  Theory  of  Teaching  also  presupposes  the 
teacher  to  be  so  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
subject-matter  to  be  imparted  as  to  enable  him,  to 
a  dead  moral  certainty,  to  instil  into  the  minds  of 
a  half  hundred  youngsters  the  essentials  of  a  prac- 
tical business  education,  while  they  are  skylarking 
around  through  Emden  district.  But  how  these 
newly-invented  subjects  relate  to  keeping  school  in 
the  old  way,  this  court  is  unable  to  decide.  Of 
course,  men,  these  are  only  a  few  of  the  recent  dis- 
coveries that  are  yearly  working  their  way  down 
from  the  Yankee  States,  through  the  book  ped- 
lars, who've  been  remembering  the  Squire  with 
numerous  samples  of  late.' 

"Then,  pushing  the  letters  aside,  with  a  sudden 
change  of  attitude  as  well  as  of  voice,  he'd  turn 
first  to  old  Patrick  McDeever,  the  master  of  Shaky 
Hollow  school,  and  with  a  broad  smile  upon  his 
face  exclaim:  'How  does  Squire  Benton  stand, 
anyway,  among  the  constituents  of  Shaky  Hollow? 
Any  considerable  opposition  to  his  re-election  as 
Justice  for  his  fifth  term?  As  popular  as  ever, 
eh?  Well,  mighty  glad  to  hear  it,  Pat,  my  honest 
old  schoolmaster.  And  over  along  Sassafras  Ridge, 
Timothy  O'Neal?  Any  falling  from  grace  in  that 
neck  o'  woods,  my  good  man?  No?  Ah!  such 


258  Nicholas  Comenius. 

flattering  compliments  speak  well  for  honest, 
faithful,  conscientious  service,  and  reflect  the  ut- 
most credit  on  your  observing  faculties  as  an  edu- 
cator! But  over  along  the  charcoal  beds,  Dennis? 
What  are  the  chances  for  the  Squire  among  those 
dusky  charcoal-burners ? '  'And  by  my  faith,' 
replied  Dennis,  '  there  isn't  a  dissenting  voice, 
and  neither  will  there  be  a  dissenting  vote,  for  its 
Dennis  O'Reilly  that's  judge  of  the  election  board, 
begorra!  It's  Squire  Benton  first,  last  and  all  the 
time — 'tis  for  a  fact! ' 

U(Ha,  ha,  glad  to  know  the  sentiment  of  my 
constituency,'  laughed  the  squire,  as  he  grasped 
each  man  by  the  hand.  'It's  public  sentiment, 
men,  that  controls  public  affairs,  and  it's  public 
sentiment  that  governs  the  schools  of  Emden  dis- 
trict. Now,  my  faithful  old  schoolmasters,  it  isn't 
the  Squire  that's  going  to  depart  from  the  usual 
procedure  of  the  examination,  with  his  own  elec- 
tion hanging  in  the  balance.  It's  Squire  Benton 
who's  been  watching  your  operations  in  the  school 
room;  and  it's  the  Squire  that's  been  observing 
the  movement  of  your  minds  while  sitting  here.' 

u  Shifting  his  position  and  leaning  forward  with 
hands  resting  upon  a  pile  of  law-books,  he  hesi- 
tated a  moment  as  if  in  deep  meditation  over  some 
intricate  problem,  looked  squarely  into  the  faces 
of  the  disconcerted  schoolmasters,  and  said:  (The 
verdict  of  the  court  is,  men,  that  the  master  who 
can  correctly  diagnose  the  political  situation  of 


The  Squire  and  the  Old  Masters.        259 

Etnden  district,  when  Thomas  Benton's  political 
standing  is  at  issue,  is  perfectly  qualified  to  con- 
duct a  district  school!  Call  round,  my  faithful 
co-workers,  by  high  noon  to-morrow,  and  the  cer- 
tificates will  be  signed,  sealed  and  ready  for 
delivery.'  ' 

And  the  Squire  was  always  as  good  as  his  word. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

BEFORE    THE    EXAMINATION — IN    THE   SCHOOL- 
HOUSE — THE  OLD   MASTERS  UNDER   FIRE. 

"FULL  well  do  I  recall  the  first  examination 
held  by  the  County  Superintendent  in  the  old 
house  over  there,  just  forty  years  ago,"  said 
Nicholas,  after  hesitating  a  moment  to  make  sure 
of  the  correct  date.  "They  seem  to  come  along 
every  season  as  regularly  as  camp-meeting,  and 
while  the  crowd  that  gathers  round  isn't  over  re- 
ligiously inclined,  it  measures  up  pretty  well  in 
size  and  standing.  Of  course,  not  more  than  a 
dozen  or  so  come  to  answer  all  the  hard  questions 
that  it  is  always  claimed  the  examiner's  been  gath- 
ering out  of  the  latest  text-books  during  the  time 
he  hadn't  much  else  to  think  about." 

u  And  what  is  the  opinion  of  Nicholas  Comenius 
as  to  the  practical  utility  of  these  public  examina- 
tions?" we  made  free  to  ask. 

"In  my  judgment,  based  on  practical  experi- 
ence," he  replied,  "it  isn't  using  the  young  folks 
more  than  half  right  to  compel  them  to  sit  for  six 
long  hours  in  a  close,  ill-ventilated  room  before  a 
whole  house-full  of  country  folks,  many  of  whom 
260 


Before  the  Examination.  261 

are  ill-fitted  to  pass  judgment  on  the  qualification 
of  the  applicant.  My  opinion  is,  that  the  longer 
these  examinations  continue,  the  more  nervous  the 
candidates  become,  and  the  less  able  they  are  to  do 
themselves  entire  justice. 

"Now,  there  was  our  old  master  Jimmy — as 
straight  as  an  arrow  and  as  quick-witted  as  a  judge; 
learned  in  half  a  dozen  languages;  could  make  all 
the  straight  lines  and  pot-hooks  as  if  they'd  grown; 
could  outstand  any  fellow  in  the  whole  school  in  a 
spelling  match;  could  work  the  double  rule  of  three 
backward  and  forward;  knew  every  chapter  in  the 
Bible  even  better  than  Solomon  himself — and  yet 
when  the  new  Superintendent  got  hold  of  him,  he 
trembled  like  a  leaf  in  a  storm.  Yes,  it  was  the 
first  public  examination  that  killed  many  a  poor 
old  master;  for  within  a  year  or  two  they  began  to 
fall  off  like  flies  on  a  frosty  morning.  Many  be- 
lieved at  the  time  that  the  law  was  passed  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  shelving  the  old  masters.  It  was 
charged  openly  that  the  professor  who  invented 
the  new  Arithmetic  and  the  new  Etymology  had 
kept  them  all  in  the  big  schools  among  the  young 
professors,  so  that  the  poor  old  masters  never  got  a 
look  inside  of  one  to  their  dying  day.  Then  what 
seemed  to  break  up  old  Jimmy  and  the  other  old 
masters  was  when  they  had  to  stand  before  the 
Superintendent  and  tell  all  about  how  they'd  teach 
a  school  this,  that  and  the  other  thing,  when  they 
didn't  have  any  school  before  them  to  practice  on, 


262  Nicholas  Comenius. 

uOf  course  many  a  time  I've  heard  the  old 
Squire  give  the  masters  plenty  of  good  wholesome 
advice ;  tell  them  all  how  he  had  courted  half  a 
dozen  girls  at  the  same  time  at  an  apple-butter 
boiling,  unbeknown  to  the  others  hanging  round; 
show  them  how  he  could  swing  a  scythe  or  a  cradle 
in  the  harvest  field  and  be  back  attending  to  the 
duties  of  his  office  long  before  the  others  had  gotten 
more  than  half  through  with  their  day's  work. 
'It's  one  thing  to  catch  an  eel/  he'd  say,  l  but  the 
scientific  thing  to  do  is  to  hold  him  when  you've 
got  him.'  And  so  the  Squire'd  lay  awake  nights 
meditating  how  the  masters  were  going  to  stand 
before  that  Superintendent  and  explain  how  they 
were  going  to  educate  and  discipline  from  sixty  to 
seventy  youngsters,  while  they  were  off  playing 
ball  or  cutting  up  all  kinds  of  capers  at  a  barn 
raising.  4  Easy  enough,'  he'd  say,  (if  he's  smart 
and  got  them  all  inside  the  school  with  the  door 
barred.  No  other  way  to  learn  music,  except  by 
attending  singing  school  and  joining  in  the  exer- 
cises. It's  practice  makes  perfect,  and  there's  no 
doctrine  under  heaven  that  beats  practice.' 

"  Yes,  yes,  it  was  a  trying  time  for  the  old  mas- 
ters, as  the  day  approached  for  the  first  public 
examination,  under  the  new  examiner  ;  for  the 
Squire  and  I  sat  up  half  the  night  with  old  Jimmy 
and  the  seven  other  old  gentlemen,  trying  to  stiffen 
them  up  for  the  terrible  ordeal  that  was  to  come 
pff  the  next  day.  It  was  an  awful  night — reading 


Before  the  Examination.  263 

and  spelling,  ciphering  and  memorizing.  There 
wasn't  a  sum  in  the  old  Arithmetic  that  Jimmy 
couldn't  work  with  his  eyes  shut,  nor  a  page  in  the 
old  Grammar  that  he  didn't  know  by  rote.  But 
he  was  pale  and  nervous,  and  when  the  fatal  morn- 
ing came  he  didn't  go  into  the  harvest  field  as 
usual,  but  said  he  felt  something  terrible  was 
going  to  happen  the  old  man.  The  old  masters 
were  taken  by  surprise  and  caught  napping  from 
the  very  first,  for  they  didn't  have  a  chance  to 
prowl  round  as  nowadays  to  find  out  the  lay  of 
the  land,  or  to  discover  the  strong  and  weak  points 
of  the  e-nemy." 

Bright  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  first  ex- 
amination held  in  Emden  district  under  the  new 
law,  people  began  to  gather  round  the  little  red 
sandstone  school-house,  and  none  of  them  looked 
very  pleasant  either;  for  they  didn't  like  the  new 
system  any  way,  and  hated  the  new  Superintend- 
ent like  poison  for  robbing  the  Squire  of  his  voca- 
tion. By  seven  o'clock  Jimmy  came  down  the 
stairs  of  the  old  inn,  on  his  way  to  the  Squire's 
office,  dressed  in  his  best  suit  of  linsey-woolsey, 
with  the  Speller,  Arithmetic  and  Grammar  under 
his  arm;  while  from  different  directions  came  the 
other  seven  old  masters.  Some  trudged  their  way 
on  foot,  while  others  were  on  horseback,  with  their 
shining  nankeen  breeches  drawn  upward  toward 
their  knees,  and  their  long,  lank  legs  dangling  be- 
side saddle  bags  that  were  so  well  filled  with 


264  Nicholas  Comenius. 

books  published  in  Noah  Webster's  day,  that  there 
could  be  no  mistake  as  to  the  preconceived  arrange- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  Squire  and  the  masters  to 
circumvent  the  new  Superintendent. 

A  little  later,  in  the  office  of  the  venerable  Jus- 
tice stood  the  eight  old  schoolmasters  on  one  side 
of  the  long  desk,  looking  as  solemn  as  the  grave- 
stones over  beside  the  ancient  church,  while  on  the 
other  side  stood  the  six  trustees.  At  one  end  of 
this  little  coterie  of  district  magnates  stood  the 
learned  Squire,  in  his  stylish  outfit;  and  to  the  ex- 
treme right  of  the  column,  President  Ebenezer 
Lukens,  for  so  many  years  the  pronounced  cham- 
pion of  the  people's  rights.  In  person,  Ebenezer 
was  a  short,  thick-set  man,  who  wore  his  hair  long 
and  parted  in  the  middle.  His  face  was  round  and 
fat,  his  manner  ardent  and  impressive,  and  in  point 
of  intelligence  and  general  information,  his  whole 
bearing  was  calculated  to  impress  his  colleagues 
with  his  superiority. 

Beside  the  window,  and  with  eyes  intently  fixed 
upon  the  old  school  house — the  objective  point  of 
so  much  interest — stood  Orlando  Hoskins,  the  aged 
Parson,  and  altogether  the  most  disturbing  factor 
in  the  educational  history  of  Black  well  county. 
For  many  long  years  Parson  Hoskins  had  held  the 
unenviable  reputation  of  being  the  great  expounder 
of  the  doctrine  of  Millerism  in  its  most  radical 
form.  His  voice,  pitched  at  all  times  in  the  minor 
key,  with  falling  inflection  at  the  end  of  each  sen- 


Before  the  Examination.  265 

tence,  corresponded  with  his  grotesque  attitude,  as 
he  swung  from  side  to  side  in  the  old  pulpit,  har- 
assing and  terrorizing  his  subservient  followers. 

" There  he  goes!"  exclaimed  the  now  agitated 
Parson,  "and  followed  too  by  a  straggling  crowd 
of  hangers  on  !" 

"  Ho!"  came  the  voice  of  the  Squire,  as  one  and 
all  made  a  rush  for  the  door  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
the  young  Superintendent. 

"Ah,  and  a  handsome-looking  official  he  is," 
sneered  the  Parson. 

A  few  moments  later,  one  excited  individual 
after  another  rapped  at  the  office  door,  all  eager  to 
bear  witness  that  they  had  actually  seen,  with  their 
own  eyes,  the  superhuman  being  who  had  been 
specially  ordained  to  examine  every  old  school- 
master in  Blackwell  county.  After  a  few  moment's 
hurried  consultation,  in  which  it  was  arranged  that 
the  Squire's  tact  and  ingenuity  were  to  be  thrown 
in  the  masters'  favor  at  the  most  critical  moment, 
and  after  each  Director  had  given  the  old  men  a 
few  words  of  sympathy,  encouraging  them  to  up- 
hold and  maintain  the  dignity  of  their  calling, 
they  mournfully  wended  their  way  toward  the  little 
red  sandstone  school-house. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  eight  old  masters  stood 
under  the  aged  oak,  comparing  notes  and  asking 
each  other  all  sorts  of  hard  questions,  like  this  : 
"  If  a  certain  number,  and  the  half  of  the  number, 
and  seven  and  a  half  make  eleven  and  a  half,  what 


Before  the  Examination.  267 

is  the  number  ?"  Under  the  linden  stood  an  equal 
number  of  dandified  professors,  making  remarks 
about  Moral  Suasion,  Mental  Arithmetic,  Analysis 
in  Grammar,  and  Theory  of  Teaching,  and  casting 
sly  glances  over  at  the  old  masters.  But  the  try- 
ing time  began  when  the  Superintendent  stepped 
to  the  door  and  said:  u  All  applicants  for  schools 
in  this  district  will  please  occupy  the  benches 
along  the  walls,  facing  the  examiner." 

Before  the  old  masters  could  reach  the  doorway, 
the  young  men  had  taken  their  seats  one  beside 
the  other,  while  the  old  gentlemen  ranged  them- 
selves on  the  opposite  bench,  where  they  sat  with 
arms  folded  like  a  set  of  mourners  at  a  funeral. 

Closely  following  the  applicants  came  the  six 
trustees,  headed  by  Justice  Benton,  in  his  gorgeous 
outfit,  marching  in  single  file  to  the  remotest  part 
of  the  room,  where  they  seated  themselves  in  a 
little  group.  But  no  word  or  look  of  recognition 
passed  from  Director  to  Superintendent,  or  vice 
versa.  It  was  evident  to  the  mind  of  the  new  offi- 
cial before  he  had  crossed  the  threshold  of  the  old 
house,  that  he  was  to  encounter  a  public  sentiment 
of  the  deepest  hostility.  Nothing  daunted,  how- 
ever, he  concluded  to  follow  closely  the  line  of  his 
professional  duty,  whatever  the  consequence. 

After  a  few  suggestive  remarks  by  the  Superin- 
tendent, admonishing  each  applicant  to  keep  his 
eye  firmly  fixed  upon  his  own  work;  that  any  sly 
glance  to  the  right  or  the  left  would  be  sufficient 


w 


Before  the  Examination.  269 

cause  for  disfavor*;  that  no  prompting  by  outsiders 
would  be  tolerated;  and  that  if  any  member  of  the 
class  should  be  found  to  have  Cobb's  Speller  or 
Pike's  Arithmetic  concealed  about  his  person  he 
would  be  denied  a  certificate,  the  examination  pro- 
ceeded. This  latter  remark,  that  no  prompting  by 
outsiders  would  be  tolerated,  naturally  threw  the 
Squire  completely  off  his  base,  as  he  had  placed 
himself  in  direct  line  with  the  old  masters,  bent  on 
rendering  them  any  assistance  that  might  come 
within  his  range. 

At  the  head  of  the  long  bench,  and  directly 
opposite  the  young  students,  sat  Patrick  McDeever, 
the  master  of  Shaky  Hollow  school,  as  brawny  an 
old  Irish  gentleman  as  ever  leaned  upon  a  genuine 
blackthorn;  to  his  left  sat  Dennis  O'Reilly, 
Michael  O'  Parrel,  Gabriel  Thomas,  Jeremiah 
Todd,  Gad  Day,  Timothy  O'Neal,  and  at  the  end 
the  master  of  the  village  school,  Jimmy  McCune. 

At  the  close  of  the  Superintendent's  rather 
severe  remarks,  all  eyes  were  centered  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Squire  Benton,  who  now  began  squirming 
in  his  seat,  as  though  a  stray  humble-bee  had  acci- 
dentally been  awakened  from  its  snug  winter  quar- 
ters on  the  old  bench  upon  which  the  Squire  had 
seated  himself.  That  the  chilling  remarks  were  in 
part  intended  for  this  officious  legal  gentleman, 
admitted  of  no  doubt.  For  Squire  Benton,  the 
mainstay  of  the  old  masters,  and  on  whom  they 
had  for  so  many  years  relied  in  all  things  pertain- 


2  7O  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ing  to  their  schools,  thus  to  show  signs  of  waver- 
ing, even  before  the  Superintendent  had  com- 
menced operations,  was  a  sad  beginning  for  the 
old  men,  I  can  assure  you.  A  moment  later,  the 
Superintendent,  foreseeing  the  demoralizing  effect 
his  pointed  remarks  were  likely  to  produce  on  the 
minds  of  the  masters,  made  this  announcement: 

uAs  the  law  requires  an  answer  to  the  following 
questions,  each  applicant  will  be  prepared  to  give 
his  full  name,  age,  number  of  years  in  the  profes- 
sion, schools  previously  attended,  and  number  and 
kind  of  educational  works  read  from  time  to  time." 

This  simple  request  acted  on  the  old  masters' 
spirits  like  a  ray  of  sunshine  on  a  drooping  plant, 
and  had  the  immediate  effect  of  stimulating  their 
latent  energies  into  renewed  activity.  Under  the 
delusive  hope  that  age  and  long  service  were  to  be 
considered  factors  in  the  new  certificate,  a  ray  of 
hope  now  broke  in  upon  them,  only  to  vanish  as  it 
came.  Even  the  Squire  now  began  to  readjust  his 
plaited  neck-stock  and  to  straighten  out  the  skirt 
of  his  stylish  coat,  which  in  his  excitement  had 
become  sadly  disarranged.  Starting  with  the 
young  students  whose  whole  experience  was  em- 
braced within  a  few  years  of  Normal  training,  the 
examiner's  eyes  were  soon  directed  toward  the 
older  men. 

"Will  the  first  gentleman  please  rise  and  " — but 
before  the  question  had  been  fully  stated  old 
Jimmy  stood  erect  and  in  a  clear  ringing  voice 


Before  the  Examination.  2  7  f 

that  almost  brought  the  Squire  to  his  feet,  ex- 
claimed: 

"  My  Christian  name  is  James  and  my  surname 
McCune,  but  known  among  the  lads  of  the  village 
school  as  plain  Jimmy.  Born  in  county  Donegal, 
North  Ireland,  sixty-five  years  ago,  if  there  be  no 
mistake  in  the  records.  Graduated  with  honor 
before  attaining  my  manhood.  Have  kept  school 
in  the  old  house  from  the  day  I  made  the  treaty  of 
peace  with  the  wild  lads  of  the  school  under  the 
old  oak  over  forty  years  ago,  as  the  exact  date 
marked  on  the  tree  will  prove  to  your  honor.  My 
reading  comprises  the  whole  category  of  pedagogy, 
from  the  time  of  Pestalozzi  down  to  the  beginning 
of  the  new  system,  which  hasn't  a  history  worth 
speaking  of,  if  my  judgment  serves  me  right.  In 
the  dead  languages,  I  have  never  had  an  equal  in 
this  neighborhood,  as  many  of  the  young  men 
whom  I've  trained  will  bear  me  witness. " 

u  A  pretty  long  service  and  a  ripe  old  age,"  sug- 
gested the  examiner,  as  he  cast  his  eyes  around  the 
room  to  observe  the  effect  produced  by  the 
speaker's  remarks. 

uYes,  it's  pretty  long  and  faithful  service;  but 
I'm  still  the  equal  of  any  two  of  the  young  pro- 
fessors, either  at  keeping  school  or  at  swinging  a 
cradle  in  the  harvest  field,"  was  Jimmy's  rejoinder, 
as  he  took  his  seat  amid  the  sly  nods  of  approval 
from  the  trustees,  who  were  leaning  their  heads 
forward,  eager  to  catch  every  word  of  his  statement. 


Nicholas  Comenrus. 

UI  believe  I  have  the  pleasure  of  addressing 
Timothy  Neal,"  suggested  the  superintendent. 

"Timothy  O'Neal,  may  it  please  your  riverence, 
and  no  mistaking  the  O,"  said  Tim,  as  he  looked 
the  Superintendent  squarely  in  the  eye.  u  Me 
birth-place  is  by  the  Lakes  of  Killarney,  where  I 
first  saw  the  light  o'  day  sevinty-wan  years  ago. 
Here's  me  parchment,  if  you  care  to  examine  it, 
in  altogether  as  good  condition  as  though  your 
honor  had  penned  it  with  his  own  quill.  For  more 
than  fifty  years  it  has  been  me  passport  wheriver 
me  feet  have  carried  me  ;  and  should  be  as  good  as 
gold,  even  under  the  new  system,  which  is  after 
knocking  the  props  clear  from  under  me.  You 
can  please  the  otild  gintleman  immensely  if  you'll 
but  subscribe  your  own  signature  right  below  that 
of  the  ould  Bishop's,  and  thus  give  it  a  new  lease 
o'  loife." 

A  wave  of  the  hand  was  sufficient  to  satisfy  Tim 
that  his  time  had  already  expired. 

"  Will  Patrick  McDeever  be  kind  enough  to" — 

u  And  by  my  faith  I  shall  be  only  too  willing  to 
stand  up,  ef  it's  me  history  ye  wants  from  mimory ; 
but  ef  it's  me  diplomy  you're  afther  seeing,  you'll 
never  lay  your  eyes  on  it,  begorra;  for  if  the  truth 
must  be  told,  I've  never  resaived  one  from  ony  col- 
lege or  University.  I'm  a  self-made  mon,  as  you'll 
diskiver  on  a  more  intimate  acquaintance,  if  I  shud 
be  fortunate  enough  to  wade  clear  through  the  list 
of  new  doctrines  widout  swamping  mesilf.  It's 


Before  the  Examination.  273 

from  the  time  I  landed  in  Ameriky  that  I've  swung 
the  firule  over  the  back  of  ivery  young  rapscallion, 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  the  intelligent  con- 
stituents of  Shaky  Hollow  school.  That  me  years 
hang  heavy  on  me  shoulders,  some  three  score  and 
tin,  is  not  for  Patrick  the  schoolmaster  to  deny ; 
but  that  I'm  young  in  me  ways,  even  yourself  may 
diskiver  if  ye  give  me  but  a  sight  of  a  chance. 
No,  it's  nayther  a  diplomy  nor  a  certificate  that's 
been  me  stock  in  trade,  but  a  strong  arrum  and  a 
good-sized  firule  that's  given  ould  Patrick  his 
standing  among  the  gintry  of  Shaky  Hollow.  Ef 
it's  the  certificate  that's  to  make  the  skule,  I'm 
afther  thinking  it'll  be  a  long  way  off  when  the 
ould  mon  is  willing  to  give  up  his  saplin'  for  a  bit 
of  parchment  to  hang  up  in  the  skule-room  to 
frighten  a  sknle  of  sixty  or  seventy  wild  lads,  that 
know  a  good  shillaly  only  whin  they  feel  the 
shtrokes  a-fallin'  like  a  flail  on  the  barn  flure." 

uThat  will  answer  for  the  present,"  mildly 
suggested  the  Superintendent.  And  so  Patrick, 
yielding  to  conditions  which  he  could  not  control, 
fell  back  into  his  seat  with  quivering  lips  and 
trembling  frame,  clearly  indicating  the  severe 
mental  strain  to  which  he  had  been  subjected,  in 
his  determination  to  uphold  the  dignity  of  the  pro- 
fession as  handed  down  by  his  predecessors. 

u  Will  the  next  gentleman  proceed  with  the  de- 
sired information?"  said  the  examining  official,  as 
he  caught  the  eye  of  Gad  Day. 
18 


1 74  Nicholas  Comenius. 

"It  will  afford  me  the  greatest  pleasure,  Mr. 
Superintendent, "  came  the  reply  of  Gad  in  one 
of  his  well-rounded  sentences. 

Now  Gad,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  a  lineal 
descendant  of  one  of  the  old  time  New  England 
schoolmasters,  was  endowed  with  more  than  the 
average  natural  ability,  tact  and  cunning,  if  the 
judgment  of  the  Squire  could  be  relied  on.  In 
fact,  he  prided  himself  on  being  the  oldest  of  four 
brothers,  Ira,  Dan,  Asa  and  Gad,  the  combined 
letters  of  whose  Christian  names  did  not  exceed 
twelve  characters  of  the  alphabet;  but  at  the  same 
time  the  shortest-set  schoolmaster  in  Blackwell 
county.  Gad,  being  of  a  roving  propensity  as  his 
name  might  imply,  was  doomed  to  ramble  idly  with- 
out any  fixed  purpose,  bobbing  up  here  and  there 
when  least  expected.  He  was  the  champion  speller 
at  country  spelling-matches,  where  he  was  at  all 
times  sure  to  carry  off  the  coveted  prize.  Armed 
with  the  Bible  in  one  pocket  and  the  Speller  in  the 
other,  and  a  cotton  umbrella  under  his  arm,  he  was 
the  conquering  hero  who  bade  defiance  to  every  old 
schoolmaster  whom  he  chanced  to  meet.  He  was 
familiarly  known,  when  not  in  the  school-room, 
as  the  "walking  dictionary "  of  Sassafras  Ridge, 
and  was  ever  ready  to  entertain  and  enlighten  the 
loungers  in  by-way  inns  and  country  stores.  He 
could  out-walk  any  other  pedestrian — ped-es-te- 
rian,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  pronounce  the  word 
-—and  in  the  spelling  and  pronunciation  of  Biblical 


Before  the  Examination,  275 

words  was  considered  the  champion.  To  hold  the 
enviable  reputation  of  always  standing  at  the  head 
of  the  class  in  a  spelling-match  was  considered  an 
honor  second  only  to  that  of  being  the  best  wrestler 
at  a  fox-chase  or  at  a  country  fair.  With  Gad,  and 
the  community  at  large,  all  other  qualifications 
were  considered  of  secondary  importance.  It  was 
but  natural,  then,  that  Gad  should  enter  somewhat 
into  a  plain  presentation  of  facts,  in  order  that  the 
Superintendent  might  proceed  accordingly.  It 
was  his  determination  also  to  impress  upon  the  ex- 
aminer, at  the  very  outstart,  that  what  he  lacked 
in  stature  was  more  than  made  up  in  literary  qual- 
ification. 

»As  Gad  Day  had  inwardly  resolved  before  enter- 
ing the  class  to  take  issue  with  the  new  Superin- 
tendent on  every  technical  point  that  might  arise, 
to  enter  into  a  personal  controversy  with  the 
avowed  purpose  of  placing  the  examiner  in  a  com- 
promising position  before  the  class  and  the  consti- 
tuents of  Emden  district,  it  is  not  at  all  surprising 
that  he  should  become  the  target  for  a  fusillade  of 
direct  questions  from  the  very  beginning;  and  the 
result  was  what  might  have  been  expected. 

"To  take  issue  with  the  Superintendent  on 
every  disputed  point, n  observed  Comenius,  recall- 
ing incidents  of  the  many  examinations  he  had 
personally  conducted,  "has  resulted  in  settling  the 
fate  of  more  than  one  irrepressible  schoolmaster, 
however  well  informed  he  may  have  been  on  the 


Nicholas  ComeniuS. 

subject-matter  under  consideration.  The  folly  of 
such  a  course  is  often  offset,  however,  by  the  dis- 
position of  certain  examiners,  who  abuse  the 
authority  their  office  gives  them,  by  holding  up  to 
ridicule  some  unfortunate  applicant  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  assembled  audience.  There  is  no 
other  profession  in  the  world  wherein  a  little  know- 
ledge, combined  with  a  vast  amount  of  self-assur- 
ance, is  more  dangerous  than  in  the  teacher's  call- 
ing, and  especially  so  in  that  of  a  Superintendent. 
Far  better  that  a  young  man  or  woman  should 
never  enter  upon  the  work  of  a  teacher,  than  to 
imagine  that  they  constitute  'the  hub  of  the  uni- 
verse.' This  was  perhaps  the  one  besetting  sin  of 
the  schoolmaster  of  earlier  days.  Settling  him- 
self in  some  secluded  neighborhood,  forever  after 
he  was  a  law  unto  himself  in  all  things  pertaining 
to  the  training  of  the  young.  As  reading,  writing 
and  arithmetic  were  the  three  essentials,  he  was 
prudent  enough  never  to  overstep  the  danger  line. 
If  an  occasional  boy  manifested  a  taste  for  geo- 
graphy, history  or  grammar,  in  opposition  to  the 
expressed  wishes  of  teacher  and  parents,  the 
master  would  generally  sacrifice  the  former  for  the 
latter.  To  demonstrate  his  ability  to  '  keep  school,' 
the  solution  of  one  or  two  intricate  mathematical 
problems  at  a  country  store  or  wayside  inn  was 
sufficient  to  establish  his  reputation." 

These  observations  of  our  aged    narrator  com- 
mend themselves  to  every  observing  mind;  and  so 


Before  the  Examination.  277 

it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  these  eight  old 
masters  would  submit  to  conditions  against  which 
their  very  natures  rebelled,  without  asserting  their 
own  individuality  in  a  way  most  pleasing  to  the 
Squire  and  their  constituents.  But  the  result 
could  not  be  other  than  disastrous  to  themselves. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

EXAMINATION    IN   ARITHMETIC    AND    GRAMMAR — 

MOTHER   BENTON — THE  SPELLING   BOOK — 

THE   OLD   MASTERS   DISCARDED. 

UP  to  this  point,  no  exception  could  be  taken  to 
the  examiner's  method  of  procedure,  for  the  widest 
latitude  had  been  given  the  old  masters  in  the  pre- 
liminary exercises.  But  when  the  next  series  of 
questions  came — "  What  works  on  theory  and  phil- 
osophy of  teaching  have  you  read?"  "Explain 
the  difference  between  the  pouring  in  and  the 
drawing  out  process?"  "  What  are  the  conceptive 
and  the  perceptive  faculties?"  "  Wherein  do  the 
deductive,  inductive  and  objective  methods  differ 
from  the  old  alphabetic  method?" — it  was  evident 
that  the  line  of  demarkation  between  the  New  and 
the  Old  had  been  reached,  and  that  the  masters 
were  to  be  relegated  to  the  rear  for  a  newer  dispen- 
sation. 

But  the  trying  ordeal  only  came  when  the  exam- 
iner drew  from  his  grip-sack  a  small,  innocent- 
looking  volume,  bearing  on  its  outer  cover  in  gilt 
characters,  "  Mental  Arithmetic."  To  this  novel 
piece  of  ammunition  all  eyes  were  turned ;  for  how- 

278 


Mental  Arithmetic.  279 

ever  small  in  size,  there  was  death  to  the  old  mas- 
ters lurking  within  its  covers.  When  the  eyes  of 
Jimmy  fell  upon  that  destructive  weapon,  he 
turned  to  Tim  and  whispered :  "  I'd  sooner  run 
against  a  dozen  hornet-nests,  my  old  boy,  or  all  the 
wild  lads  of  the  district,  than  to  tackle  that  newly- 
discovered  Arithmetic  !n  But  the  way  the  young 
students  rolled  off  the  big  cup-and-cover  questions 
was  enough  to  startle  even  the  Squire,  who  by  this 
time  began  to  rub  his  eyes  and  gather  himself  to- 
gether. 

That  Jimmy,  the  old  master,  was  considered  the 
best  fisherman  in  all  the  country  round,  had  caught 
many  a  slippery  old  fellow  with  his  own  hands 
along  many  a  fair  stream,  was  acknowledged  on  all 
sides ;  but  when  he  took  hold  of  the  fish  question, 
which  the  Superintendent  kindly  repeated  three  or 
four  times  in  order  that  he  might  get  a  tight  grip 
on  it,  he  couldn't  manage  the  one  side  of  it.  With 
a  good  grip  on  the  head  he'd  lose  sight  of  the  tail ; 
and  with  both  head  and  tail  well  in  hand  he 
couldn't  manage  the  body;  and  so,  after  getting  the 
slippery  creature  divided  up,  he  couldn't  for  his  life 
put  it  all  together  again. 

Timothy  O'Neal's  turn  came  next,  and  he  had 
the  same  experience  with  the  tree  problem.  He 
could  swing  an  axe,  could  cut  more  timber  in  a 
day  than  the  whole  row  of  those  young  professors 
could  in  a  week,  and  measure  it  too  in  the  bargain; 
and  yet  he  squirmed  around,  now  holding  on  to  the 


280  Nicholas  Comenius. 

trunk,  then  to  the  top,  but  he  couldn't,  to  save  his 
reputation,  manage  the  shadow.  u  Yes,  it  was  the 
shadow, "  remarked  Tim  many  times  thereafter, 
"  that  bothered  me  more  than  the  surveying  of  a 
ten-acre  timber  tract." 

"  Yes,  there  was  freer  breathing  all  along  the 
line  when  that  little  book  was  laid  aside,"  com- 
mented Nicholas  at  this  point.  u  All  right  at  the 
present  day,  when  every  school-boy  in  the  land 
can  go  through  a  Mental  Arithmetic  as  easily 
as  he'd  go  through  the  multiplication  table — 
and  yet  fail  on  the  first  practical  question  in- 
volving a  simple  business-like  solution.  There 
wasn't  so  much  show  about  the  old  master's  math- 
ematical operations;  but  when  the  result  was 
announced  it  wasn't  necessary  to  be  looking  up  the 
answer  in  the  key  to  make  sure  of  the  accuracy 
of  his  solutions." 

"  Now,  please,"  said  the  examiner,  after  directing 
a  few  questions  to  the  young  students,  "  define  the 
term  Moral  Suasion,  and  explain  how  you  would 
govern  a  school  without  the  use  of  the  rod." 

"Holy  Saint  Patrick!"  exclaimed  Gabriel 
Thomas,  who  had  risen  to  his  feet,  and  who  now 
recalled  the  statement  of  the  Squire  a  year  before; 
"  and  would  ye  take  away  from  the  old  master  his 
only  means  of  defense ;  place  him  at  the  mercy  of 
all  the  wild  lads  of  the  neighborhood  by  robbing 
him  of  his  shillaly?  And  is  it  this  the  system's 
coming  to,  that  would  strip  an  old  bird  of  his 


Moral  Suasion.  281 

wings,  and  make  ould  Gabriel  Thomas,  the  re- 
spected schoolmaster,  strut  around  in  the  school 
like  a  young  fledgling,  with  his  arms  tied  behind 
his  back,  unable  to  defind  himself  against  the 
young  rapscallions  of  the  district  I" 

"Next!"  quickly  interposed  the  examiner.  But 
for  once  Gabriel  had  gained  an  apparent  victory, 
inasmuch  as  he  had  received  an  appreciative  nod 
from  the  seven  other  masters,  who  were  intensely 
interested  in  maintaining  their  rights,  so  long 
recognized  throughout  Blackwell  county. 

"  But  support  of  this  kind  didn't  amount  to  very 
much,"  laughed  Nicholas ;  "  while  to  his  right 
could  be  heard  the  snapping  of  no  less  than  half  a 
dozen  fingers  of  as  many  impatient  competitors, 
ready  to  repeat  word  for  word  the  contents  of  some 
new  work  detailing  how  it  was  being  done  so  suc- 
cessfully away  over  in  the  Boston  schools." 

In  grammar,  however,  the  masters  thought  they 
were  completely  fortified,  having  committed  the 
contents  of  the  first  edition  of  Kirkham's  old 
Grammar,  in  which  could  always  be  found  author- 
ity on  every  knotty  sentence  Or  stanza  in  English 
literature.  It  was  an  undisputed  fact  that,  however 
widely  any  half  dozen  of  these  old-timers  might 
differ  on  any  particular  point,  each  disputant  could 
securely  fortify  himself  behind  this  most  valuable 
adjunct  of  the  teacher's  stock  in  trade.  So  there 
was  hope  pictured  on  the  faces  of  these  trusty  old 
educators  when  the  subject  of  grammar  was  an- 


282  Nicholas  Comenius. 

nounced  !  Indeed,  the  flush  of  renewed  confidence 
illumined  the  countenances  of  the  six  trustees,  as 
they  leaned  forward.  On  the  brow  of  the  Squire 
also  sat  hope  renewed. 

But  to  the  consternation  of  these  old  veterans, 
the  Superintendent  drew  for  a  second  time  from 
his  grip  a  small  work  entitled,  "  Language  Lessons, 
or  New  Education."  Holding  this  little  volume 
before  him,  and  glancing  around  to  take  account 
of  any  weak  material,  his  eye  fell  on  Jeremiah 
Todd,  who  was  at  that  very  moment  engaged  in  re- 
adjusting his  wig,  which  in  the  excitement  of  the 
moment  had  become  sadly  disarranged ;  for  indeed 
there  were  moments  when  Jerry  was  at  a  loss  to 
know  whether  he  had  not  come  away  bareheaded. 

uWill  Mr.  Todd  please  state  into  how  many 
parts  grammar  is  divided  ?' ' 

And  Jeremiah,  bounding  to  his  feet,  blurted  out : 
"  Into  four,  of  course — Or-tho-graph'-y,  Ety-mo- 
lo'-gy,  Syntax  and  Pro-so'-dy." 

With  this  prompt  answer,  coming  within  the 
scope  of  the  old  grammar,  Jeremiah  was  about  to 
subside  full  of  honors,  when  he  was  confronted 
with  this  sentence  for  analysis:  "The  days  of  the 
old  schoolmasters  are  fast  drawing  to  a  close. " 

"And  what  shall  I  do  with  it?"  said  Jerry. 

"  Separate  it  into  its  parts,  and  give  its  preposi- 
tive, substantive  modifiers,  and  the  analytical  rela- 
tion of  each  component  part,  in  a  synthetical  sense, 
to  the  subject  and  predicate, " 


Jeremiah's  Analysis.  283 

Now  Jeremiah  was  a  genuine  type  of  many  an 
old  Irish  master :  his  face  at  times  may  have  been 
rough,  bronzed,  and  rugged  lines  may  have  marked 
its  contour,  but  there  was  neither  meanness  nor 
selfishness  in  his  nature;  his  massive  chin  and 
straight  brows  indicated  an  unyielding  will,  while 
from  his  big  gray  eyes  shone  forth  both  tenderness 
uid  sympathy  for  his  little  flock.  And  yet,  be- 
neath the  coarse  gray  clothes  which  hung  loosely 
about  his  person,  there  slept  a  passion  that  when 
kindled  into  a  flame  through  some  intended  or 
imaginary  insult,  knew  no  limit.  As  Jeremiah 
stood  up,  head  and  shoulders  above  every  other 
member  of  the  class,  his  face  assumed  a  deep  scar- 
let red;  the  little  bob  of  hair  protruding  through 
his  wig  disentangled  itself,  and  in  a  moment  each 
particular  hair  seemed  to  stand  on  end.  His  whole 
being  was  up  in  arms,  eager  for  the  fray,  as  he 
looked  the  Superintendent  squarely  in  the  eye,  and 
said: 

"  And  is  it  Jeremiah  Todd  that  you'd  have  me 
siparate  and  pull  apart?  If  you'll  come  out  on  the 
green,  it's  yourself  that  I'll  siparate,  and  it's  ivery 
bone  in  your  body  that  I'll  analyze  to  find  out  what 
manner  of  mon  ye  be,  to  ask  a  poor  ould  school- 
master sich  outlandish  conundrums  that  even  a 
mon  of  me  years  wtiddn't  be  afther  asking  the 
worst  boy  in  the  howl  schule,  for  fear  me  con- 
science wouldn't  rest  aizy  to  me  dying  day.  It's 
not  the  first  of  your  size  and  intelligence,  Mr, 


284  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Superintendent,  that  I've  analyzed,  but  not  accord- 
ing to  the  new  system,  as  you'll  soon  diskiver." 

For  a  moment  the  wildest  confusion  prevailed. 
The  young  students  left  their  seats  and  gathered 
round  the  Superintendent,  seemingly  for  his  protec- 
tion. The  eight  old  masters  were  gesticulating 
and  pouring  out  invectives  on  the  head  of  the 
interloper,  as  they  termed  the  examiner.  The  six 
trustees  gathered  into  a  corner  of  the  room  and 
urged  the  Squire  forthwith  to  commit  the  young 
official  for  contempt;  while  the  Superintendent 
stood  at  his  post  as  little  disconcerted  as  though  it 
were  but  an  every-day  occurrence.  Orlando  Hos- 
kins,  on  the  other  hand,  betook  himself  to  the  out- 
side, where  he  gave  free  expression  to  his  pent-up 
wrath,  urging  the  young  folks  to  storm  the  old 
house  from  without. 

In  the  midst  of  this  confusion,  Squire  Benton,  it 
must  be  said,  continued  to  maintain  that  dignity 
of  composure  that  had  on  more  than  one  previous 
occasion  shown  the  strength  of  his  character  and 
the  fertility  of  his  resources  in  the  hour  of  greatest 
difficulty.  Stung  to  the  quick  by  the  unfair  treat- 
ment he  felt  had  been  meted  out  to  the  old  masters, 
his  manner  was  yet  in  keeping  with  the  important 
office  he  had  so  long  held.  Stepping  forward 
through  the  crowd  that  had  filled  every  portion  of 
the  old  house,  until  he  stood  face  to  face  with  the 
new  Superintendent,  he  spoke  for  the  first  time 
since  he  had  entered  the  room : 


The  Squire  Interposes.  285 

uMy  name,  Mr.  Superintendent,"  said  he  in  a 
firm  voice,  "  is  plain  Thomas  Benton,  for  many 
years  a  citizen  and  justice  of  the  peace  of  Em  den 
district.  You  will  do  me  a  favor  by  adjourning 
the  examination  until  after  the  dinner  hour,  if  I 
am  not  trespassing  on  your  time." 

A  moment  later  the  Superintendent,  feeling  that 
he  had  possibly  compromised  the  dignity  of  his 
office  in  some  way  not  entirely  clear  to  his  own 
mind,  made  a  few  conciliatory  remarks,  which 
acted  like  oil  on  the  troubled  waters,  and  then  ad- 
journed the  examination  until  afternoon. 

"  If  the  crowd  that  gathered  within  and  around 
the  little  red  sandstone  school-house  during  the  ex- 
ercises of  that  historic  forenoon  had  been  unusual 
in  number,  that  which  collected  in  the  afternoon 
far  exceeded  any  similar  uprising  during  the  many 
years  of  my  own  experience  as  County  Superin- 
tendent of  Blackwell  county,"  said  Comenius.  u  As 
young  and  old  came  pouring  into  the  village,  their 
presence  could  only  be  accounted  for,  by  those 
who  had  not  heard  the  cause,  on  the  supposition 
that  the  annual  autumnal  Fair  week  had  arrived." 

u  All  dissenters  or  conservatives?"  asked  one  of 
us. 

uNo,"  replied  Nicholas,  as  he  drew  his  easy 
reclining-chair  closer  toward  the  low  window;  unot 
by  any  means!  There  were  brave  men  in  those 
days — men  with  hearts  full  of  love  and  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  popular  education.  Earnest  and  en- 


2&6  Nicholas  ComeniuS. 

thusiastic  as  they  were,  there  was  no  shouting,  hC 
frothy  demonstrations  such  as  moves  the  multitude 
at  teachers'  or  directors'  meetings  nowadays.  And 
if  there  were  brave  men,  there  were  even  braver 
women — women  who  gave  encouragement  by  word 
and  action  to  those  who  were  ready  to  give  their 
lives,  if  necessary,  that  the  principles  represented 
by  the  common  school  system  might  be  established. 
For  where,  in  the  history  of  our  modern  rural 
life,  stands  a  name  more  worthy  to  be  revered  and 
honored  than  that  of  plain  Mary  Benton?  The 
conceptions  of  a  broader  and  more  perfect  life  ;  the 
sunlight  of  a  kindly  nature ;  unbounded  faith  in 
an  over-ruling  Providence — these  were  the  cardi- 
nal virtues  of  her  life.  In  the  darkest  hours,  when 
superstition  and  fanaticism  had  taken  possession  of 
the  minds  of  the  multitude,  it  was  Mother  Benton 
who  kept  her  light  burning  amid  the  gloom,  ever 
hoping  for  the  coming  of  a  better  day.  Yes,  it  was 
woman's  intuition  that  prompted  her  to  rescue 
Robert  Ray  land  from  the  surroundings  of  the  old 
inn,  and  from  the  charge  of  insubordination  at  an- 
other critical  moment.  It  was  her  intuition  that 
saved  the  old  Parson  from  bodily  harm,  when  the 
entire  populace  stood  ready  to  condemn  and  punish. 
"Yes,  my  young  friends,"  continued  the  aged 
father,  as  the  big  tears  began  to  trickle  down  his 
cheeks,  "  it  was  a  woman's  deep  convictions  that 
moved  her  even  to  exchange  old  Jimmy,  the  mas- 
ter of  the  village  school,  who  had  kindly  cared  for 


Mother  Benton.  287 

her  own  little  ones,  for  a  young  and  progressive 
teacher.  We  all  thought  at  the  time  that  Mary 
Benton  had  become  infatuated  with  some  peculiar 
mental  hallucination,  but  time  eventually  justified 
her  wisdom. 

"  But  these  little  episodes  happened  long  ago, 
when  the  system  was  not  as  yet  crystallized  into 
that  perfect  mechanism  over  which  the  present 
generation  delights  to  dwell  in  its  Fourth  of  July 
oratory.  It  was  such  unselfish  interest  as  the  de- 
voted wife  of  Squire  Benton  at  all  times  manifested 
in  her  daughters,  that  eventually  gave  to  young 
women  that  high  position  in  the  schools  of  the  state 
for  which  they  are  by  nature  and  training  so  well 
adapted.  For  it  should  be  remembered  by  the 
young  teachers  of  the  Commonwealth,  that  at  the 
time  Jimmy  McCune  conducted  the  village  school, 
the  records  failed  to  show  the  name  of  a  single 
young  lady  teacher  employed  in  any  of  the  public 
schools  of  Blackwell  county,  and  comparatively 
few  in  the  whole  State. " 

But  we  must  not  let  our  aged  narrator  anticipate 
the  history  yet  to  be  related,  and  will  return  to  the 
examination.  For  a  time  after  the  noon  recess, 
only  the  wise  counsel  of  Thomas  Benton  among 
the  rank  and  file  without,  and  the  judicious  deport- 
ment of  one  of  the  younger  students  within,  pre- 
vented what  otherwise  might  have  resulted  in  a 
riotous  demonstration,  or  possibly  the  ejection  of 
the  new  Superintendent.  Like  the  good  Samaritan 


288  Nicholas  Comenms. 

of  old,  this  young  man  pressed  his  way  forward, 
and  taking  each  of  the  old  men  by  the  hand, 
whispered  words  of  good  cheer  to  one  and  all. 
These  expressions  of  sympathy,  coming  as  they 
did  from  one  of  the  youngest  professors,  had  a  most 
conciliatory  effect,  which  lasted  until  attention  was 
diverted  by  the  placing  of  an  outline  map  of  the 
United  States  on  the  otherwise  blank  wall.  With 
this  modern  school-room  appliance  placed  directly 
before  the  class,  the  examination  was  renewed ;  not 
however  in  the  old-fashioned  way,  for  a  new  craze 
had  recently  entered  the  educational  field — that  of 
singing  the  States,  capitals,  and  other  important 
features  to  the  tune  of  Yankee  Doodle.  As  the 
Superintendent  was  a  newly-converted  disciple  to 
this  modern  method,  the  younger  members  of  the 
class  made  the  four  corners  of  the  room  resound 
with  the  echo  of  their  voices:  the  other  members 
were  the  eight  old  masters,  who  sat  as  silent  ob- 
servers of  the  scene  before  them. 

But  when  Michael  O'FarrePs  turn  came  to  ex- 
plain the  roundity  of  the  earth,  there  was  music  in 
the  air;  for  however  well  informed  Mike  may  have 
been  in  geography  and  travels,  he  had  never  out- 
grown the  prevailing  superstition  of  many  other- 
wise well-informed  people  who  honestly  believed 
that  the  earth  was  as  flat  as  the  rims  of  their  broad- 
brimmed  hats.  For  many  years  Mike  had  been  a 
seafearing  man,  and  the  variety  of  anecdotes  which 
daily  enthused  the  loungers  at  the  wayside  inn 


Michael  Comes  Out  of  the  Hole.         289 

made  him  an  undoubted  authority  in  the  line  of 
geographical  teaching,  and  gave  him  a  yearly  pass- 
port to  a  school  without  examination.  And  yet  on 
that  fatal  occasion,  the  sturdy  old  pedagogue  be- 
came so  confused  that  he  could  hardly  have 
described  the  road  to  the  old  grist-mill. 

Confronted  with  the  direct  question :  "  What  is 
the  shape  and  size  of  the  earth  ?"  the  old  school- 
master straightened  himself  up,  cast  an  observing 
eye  over  at  the  Squire  and  replied : 

"Some  say  it  is  flat,  Mr.  Superintendent;  some 
say  it  is  square,  while  others  say  it  is  round ;  but  if 
I  succeed  in  getting  a  legal  paper,  I  am  willing  to 
teach  it  any  way  the  constituents  may  desire. " 

The  Squire  nodded  his  head,  which  was  followed 
by  a  similar  expression  of  approval  from  the  six 
duly  authorized  school  trustees  of  Emden  district. 
Michael  was  encouraged,  and  felt  himself  equal  to 
the  occasion  ;  and  when  the  Superintendent  turned 
to  a  small  globe  which  he  held  before  the  class, 
and  asked  him  where  he  would  come  out  on  the 
other  side,  were  it  possible  for  him  to  pass  clear 
through  the  earth,  a  bright  idea  dawned  upon 
Mike : 

"And  where  should  I  come  out  on  the  other 
side,  Mr.  Superintendent,  but  out  of  the  hole  at  the 
other  end,  of  course,  if  I  ever  lived  to  get  through 
without  swamping  myself  in  the  broad  ocean." 

If  this  application  of  the  principles  of  mathe- 
matical geography  failed  to  carry  conviction  to  the 


2  go  Nicholas  Comenius. 

mind  of  the  examiner,  it  nevertheless  struck  a  re- 
sponsive chord  in  the  breasts  of  the  listeners,  and 
found  expression  in  repeated  nods  of  approval  from 
the  custodians  of  the  school  interests  of  Emden  dis- 
trict. 

That  Michael  O' Parrel  could  answer  a  question 
that  to  the  average  mind  was  only  to  be  grappled 
with  by  the  Squire's  superior  wisdom,  at  once  gave 
him  a  standing  in  the  community  which  he  had 
never  before  attained.  For  the  Superintendent  to 
assume  that  the  earth  was  round  like  a  ball,  was  to 
the  minds  of  many  well-meaning  people  simply 
preposterous :  and  yet,  accepting  the  theory  as  cor- 
rect, where  else  but  at  the  other  end  of  the  hole 
was  it  possible  for  the  old  master  to  appear  ? 

But  Michael's  ambition,  stimulated  by  the  evi- 
dent impression  he  had  made,  tempted  him  still 
further,  and  he  added  : 

"  To  sustain  me  position,  Mr.  Superintendent,  I 
might  state  that  there  is  a  lake  over  in  the  ould 
country  with  no  bottom  at  all,  sorr." 

"But  how  do  you  know  that?"  asked  the  Super- 
erintendent,  with  a  smile. 

"  Well,  sorr,  I  will  tell  ye.  Me  own  cousin  was 
showing  the  pond  to  a  gintleman  one  day,  sorr, 
who  looked  incredulous  like,  just  as  you  do  yer- 
self,  and  me  cousin  couldn't  stand  it  for  him  to 
doubt  his  word,  so  he  said,  '  Begorra,  I'll  prove  the 
truth  of  me  words,'  and  off  with  his  clothes  and  in 
he  jumped." 


The  Spelling  Test.  291 

The  Superintendent's  face  wore  an  amused  and 
quizzical  expression. 

"  Yes,  sorr,  he  dived  under,  and  didn't  come  up 
again,  at  all,  at  all." 

"But,"  said  the  Superintendent,  "  I  don't  see 
how  your  cousin  proved  his  point  by  recklessly 
drowning  himself." 

"  Sure,  sorr,  it  wasn't  drowned  at  all  he  was;  for 
the  next  month  comes  a  letter  from  him  in  Austra- 
lia, askin'  to  send  on  his  clothes." 

There  was  triumph  in  the  eye  of  Michael 
O' Parrel  as  he  took  his  seat  on  the  long  slab 
bench,  followed  by  a  buzz  of  admiration  from  all 
who  had  crowded  their  way  into  the  village  school. 

After  this  brilliant  display  of  wisdom,  which 
brought  a  smile  even  from  the  young  Superintend- 
ent, the  examination  finally  closed  with  that  most 
vexatious  of  all  tests,  the  spelling  exercise :  for  it 
has  ever  been  a  custom,  even  down  to  the  present 
day,  either  to  begin  the  examination  with  the 
spelling-book  or  to  close  the  day's  Work  with  that 
most  difficult  branch  of  the  school-room  curriculum. 

"I've  attended  nearly  every  examination  since 
the  new  system  came  into  use,"  was  the  comment 
of  Nicholas;  "and  it's  my  opinion  that  the  spelling- 
book  has  caused  more  worry  than  all  the  other 
branches  of  the  school-room  combined." 

"  It  was  easy  enough  for  Gad  Day  to  stand  up  in 
a  spelling  match  and  spell  all  the  hard  words  of 
the  old  Speller,  as  fast  as  even  Noah  Webster  could 


29 2  Nicholas  Comenius. 

have  pronounced  them;  but  when  the  examiner 
pulled  out  that  new  Etymology,  with  a  long  list 
of  lately-invented  words,  with  their  strange  pro- 
nunciation, it  was  evident  that  the  old  men  were 
going  to  have  a  trying  time  of  it,  unless  Jimmy 
could  persuade  the  Superintendent  to  ease  up  a 
little  by  substituting  old  Noah's  Spelling-book  for 
that  new  Etymology.  This  might  easily  have 
been  accomplished  had  the  Squire  held  the  reins; 
but  old  customs,  habits  and  even  methods,  like  the 
old  masters,  were  now  to  be  swept  away  for  a 
newer  dispensation. 

It  was  a  caution  to  see  how  the  masters  tried  to 
"juke"  many  of  the  words  they  had  spelled  fifty 
times  over  at  the  spelling-schools;  for  the  new  ex- 
aminer had  such  a  peculiar  way  of  twirling  them 
round.  One  of  the  easiest  words  in  the  language 
Gad  Day  missed  the  moment  it  reached  him.  Now 
Gad  had  studied  As-tro-no'-my,  as  he  pronounced  it, 
for  years ;  knew  all  the  signs  and  stars  in  the 
heavens;  could  predict  the  coming  of  a  storm  to 
the  minute ;  understood  the  various  eclipses  and 
changes  of  the  moon  to  a  dead  certainty ;  and  yet 
when  the  Superintendent  gave  him  the  word  Jupi- 
ter, he  was  the  first  to  go  down  by  insisting  on 
calling  it  Ju-pe'-ter.  Then  there  was  Dennis 
O'Reilly,  who  was  a  great  believer  in  the  mythol- 
ogy of  apparitions;  could  never  pass  within  a  mile 
of  a  graveyard  without  its  recalling  a  line  of  myth- 
ical narratives,  which  he  took  great  delight  in  re- 


The  Axe  Falls.  293 

peating  for  the  benefit  of  his  friend  the  Squire; 
but  he  went  down  in  the  first  skirmish,  because  he 
persisted  in  pronouncing  the  word  my-tho-lo'-gy. 
Old  Gabriel  Thomas,  who  was  noted  for  his  happy 
faculty  of  belaboring  more  discipline  into  the  ob- 
streperous lads  of  the  school  than  any  other  master 
in  the  district,  met  the  same  fate  on  the  words 
bel-a-bor'ing  and  ob-stre-pe'rous,  as  he  obstinately 
insisted  on  pronouncing  them. 

As  the  examination  drew  to  a  close,  a  sense  of 
relief  seemed  to  permeate  the  whole  class.  Half 
an  hour  later,  the  Superintendent  announced  that 
while  he  would  personally  desire  to  favor  the  old 
masters  as  far  as  possible,  the  obligations  of  his 
high  position  demanded  the  strictest  impartiality ; 
and  that  feeling  it  to  be  his  duty  to  sustain  the 
new  law  by  granting  certificates  to  those  only  who 
had  met  its  several  requirements,  he  was  reluc- 
tantly compelled  to — 

Before  the  sentence  could  be  completed,  Patrick 
McDeever,  the  master  of  Shaky  Hollow  school, 
arose,  and  in  a  commanding  tone  said  :  "  Brace  up, 
old  men,n  and  out  of  the  little  red  sandstone 
schoolhouse  the  eight  old  masters  trudged  their 
way  into  the  cold  world,  leaving  the  eight  young 
professors  masters  of  the  situation. 

A  moment  later  the  Superintendent  handed  to 
each  of  the  young  men  a  small  four-by-eight  paper, 
bearing  the  official  imprint  of  the  State,  upon 
which  was  inscribed;  uThis  is  to  certify  that  you 


294  Nicholas  Comenius. 

have  passed  the  examination,  and  are  entitled  to 
teach  in  the  schools  of  the  Commonwealth  during 
the  ensuing  year. ' ' 

"  As  the  Superintendent  passed  out  of  the  door," 
added  Nicholas,  rising  from  his  easy  chair  and 
standing  erect  as  in  his  early  manhood,  "I  looked 
him  squarely  in  the  eye,  and  could  see  that  away 
down  in  his  own  heart  he  felt  he  had  broken  the 
hearts  of  the  old  schoolmasters.  He  didn't  give 
them  a  good-by  shake,  and  I  noticed  that  Jimmy 
McCune  didn't  carry  his  grip  across  the  lawn  by 
the  old  oak,  as  he  had  in  the  morning. 

"  Looking  here  and  there  for  a  word  of  encour- 
agement which  he  failed  to  receive,  the  new  Super- 
intendent drove  away  with  a  heavy  weight  resting 
upon  him.  It  was  sad  to  see  the  eight  old  masters 
standing  round  with  bended  heads.  They  were 
not  the  victors  that  day,  but  they  had  plenty  of 
kind  words  from  the  Squire  and  the  trustees,  and 
kindly  looks  of  sympathy  from  a  loving  constit- 
uency. An  hour  later,  and  the  news  had  reached 
every  portion  of  the  village  that  the  old  school- 
masters had  been  discarded,  and  their  places  filled 
by  an  equal  number  of  young  professors,  represent- 
ing all  the  new  methods  and  theories  in  the  educa- 
tional world.'' 

To  cast  adrift  those  eight  old  masters  by  one 
sweep  of  the  pen  was  the  prerogative  of  the  new 
Superintendent;  but  to  eradicate  the  deep-seated 
superstitions,  superinduced  in  part  by  the  mistaken 


Sympathy  with  the  Old  Masters.          295 

teachings  of  Orlando  Hoskins,  was  a  psychological 
problem,  the  solution  of  which  was,  for  the  time  at 
least,  entirely  beyond  his  jurisdiction.  Could  the 
advocates  and  the  defenders  of  the  old  system,  how- 
ever incurably  defective  in  the  eyes  of  the  others, 
be  expected  to  discard  the  same  at  the  instigation 
of  this  new  official,  and  accept  a  system  diametri- 
cally the  reverse  of  that  under  which  they  them- 
selves had  been  nourished,  under  the  fostering 
care  of  the  old  masters,  who  had  ever  found  a 
welcome  at  every  fireside? 

The  six  directors,  however  superficial  their  own 
qualifications,  and  while  they  stood  ready  to  obey 
the  strict  letter  of  the  law,  which  forbade  the  em- 
ployment of  others  than  those  holding  valid  certi- 
ficates, were  at  the  same  time  unalterably  deter- 
mined to  maintain  a  close  supervision  over  the 
schools  under  their  control — to  hold  each  teacher 
to  a  strict  accountability  for  a  violation  of  any  of 
the  prescribed  rules,  among  the  most  important  of 
which  was  that  which  forbade  the  introduction 
of  any  of  the  new-fangled  methods  and  theories. 
For  hours  after  the  examiner  had  departed,  here 
and  there  around  the  old  oak  stood  little  knots  of 
sympathizers  in  consultation  with  the  discarded 
masters,  offering  words  of  condolence ;  while  within 
the  old  house  sat  the  duly  constituted  authorities. 
Finally,  after  a  prolonged  discussion,  the  eight 
young  teachers  were  duly  appointed  to  the  various 
schools. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE     NEW    TEACHER  —  THE     FIRST     MORNING  — 

MODERN    METHODS — ORLANDO   HOSKINS 

INDIGNANT. 

IT  was  on  the  morning  of  the  beautiful  October 
day  when  Robert  Rayland,  the  newly-elected 
teacher  of  the  village  school  of  Emden,  crossed  the 
threshold  of  the  little  stone  house  as  the  successor 
of  Jimmy  McCune,  that  the  climax  was  reached 
and  the  seed  sown  which  in  God's  own  time  was  to 
take  deep  root,  blossom  and  bear  fruit — the  fruit 
of  the  old  system  regenerated  into  the  new.  While 
the  evolution  of  the  old  master  into  the  modern 
teacher  was  to  be  complete,  and  at  the  same  time 
so  radical  in  its  tendency  as  apparently  to  sweep 
away  the  educational  landmarks  and  early  tradi- 
tions of  more  than  five  generations,  it  was  never- 
theless but  the  beginning  of  a  struggle,  with  the 
masses  solidly  arrayed  on  the  one  side  and  fearless, 
conscientious  young  teachers  on  the  other.  It  was 
furthermore  a  contest  in  which  clear  grit,  con- 
science, and  self-reliant  determination  to  carry  the 
light  of  the  new  educational  system  even  to  the 
very  depths  of  Shaky  Hollow,  were  eventually  to 
296 


The  New  Teacher.  297 

crown  our  young  fyero's  efforts  with  victory,  and 
emancipate  the  good  people  of  Emden  from  the 
thraldom  of  superstition,  as  the  sequel  will  show. 

Unlike  the  old  master,  the  new  arrival,  modest 
and  unassuming  as  he  at  all  times  appeared,  was 
not  permitted  to  make  his  entry  into  the  village 
quietly  and  unobserved  ;  for  on  that  most  eventful 
morning  the  entire  place  had  assumed  a  holiday 
appearance.  From  sly  nooks  and  remote  corners 
the  unsophisticated  country  lad  was  quietly  survey- 
ing the  new-comer  with  that  keen  penetration  so 
common  in  the  denizens  of  many  a  backwoods  dis- 
trict; while  at  an  open  window  sat  Malinda,  the 
Parson's  oldest  daughter,  with  thoughts  but  half 
concealed,  casting  sly  glances  and  wondering  at 
whose  fireside  the  new  teacher  was  to  find  a  wel- 
come during  the  long  winter  evenings.  That  he 
was  young  and  handsomely  attired  in  a  well-fitting 
suit  of  black,  contrasting  most  favorably  with  the 
plain  homespun  of  the  old  master,  was  appre- 
ciatively noted  by  all  the  marriageable  girls  of 
Bmden ;  but  in  the  eyes  of  the  many  good  house- 
wives this  was  viewed  in  a  light  entirely  opposite. 

If  the  Squire  was  active  in  the  local  and  political 
affairs  of  the  district,  his  faithful  wife  was  none  the 
less  active  in  looking  after  the  proper  education  of 
her  little  family.  In  many  respects  she  was  his 
superior — in  birth,  as  well  as  in  advantages  of  edu- 
cation, for  she  had  in  early  years  attended  a  good 
school  in  a  distant  town.  Since  she  had  known 


298  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Jimmy  for  so  many  years  thoroughly  and  inti- 
mately, and  had  heard  so  many  disparaging  re- 
marks concerning  the  young  professor,  it  was 
natural  to  suppose  that  her  prejudices  would  be  as 
deep-seated  as  those  of  her  husband.  And  yet, 
with  an  intuition  peculiar  to  her  sex,  she  had  re- 
solved from  the  moment  the  news  first  reached  her 
of  the  new  appointment,  to  withhold  whatever 
opinion  she  might  have  formed  until  she  could 
verify  it  by  meeting  the  young  teacher  face  to  face. 

It  is  true,  in  many  ways  she  had  learned  to  re- 
spect and  admire  Jimmy  McCune ;  for  had  he  not 
always  faithfully  looked  after  her  family  of  grow- 
ing girls  over  in  the  old  school?  And  yet,  was 
there  not  away  down  in  her  very  nature  a  con- 
sciousness that  after  all,  her  three  daughters,  fast 
blooming  into  womanhood,  needed  a  different  kind 
of  training,  and  that  perhaps  in  the  new  teacher 
she  might  find  the  fruition  of  her  many  longing 
desires?  And  so,  while  the  village  gossips  who 
had  called  on  her  for  sympathy  and  consolation 
were  engaged  in  making  all  kinds  of  invidious 
comparisons,  she  simply  replied  in  her  quiet  and 
unassuming  manner : 

"Well,  we'll  give  the  young  man  a  chance  to 
show  what's  in  him;  may  be  the  gold  which  glit- 
ters in  his  fine  clothes  isn't  all  on  the  outside,  after 
all.  He  looks  like  a  sprightly  young  chap,  that 
has  good  breeding  and  polished  manners,  and  by 
his  walk  I'd  judge  he  isn't  a  bit  lazy,  either,  I 


The  New  Teacher.  299 

i 
don't  want  to  prejudge  the  young  fellow,  for  the 

Scripture  says:  ' Judge  not,  that  ye  may  not  be 
judged.'  And  so  I'll  wait  until  the  Squire  comes 
home,  and  then  we'll  argue  the  question  from  an 
intelligent  standpoint." 

From  this  unexpected  and  unlooked-for  decision 
there  was  no  appeal,  for  surprise  kept  the  usually 
nimble  tongues  silent. 

If  the  atmosphere  hung  heavy  without,  an  even 
denser  gloom  shrouded  Robert  Rayland  as  he 
moved  in  the  direction  of  the  little  stone  house, 
filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  with  young  and  old, 
who  had  assembled  to  witness  the  installation  or 
possible  dismissal  of  the  newly  imported  teacher. 
In  fact,  the  latter  was  what  the  great  majority  most 
desired.  To  see  Robert  Rayland  commit  some 
gross  indiscretion  or  violate  one  of  the  prescribed 
rules,  and  be  thereupon  summarily  dismissed  and 
Jimmy  McCune  reinstated  in  his  place,  was  what 
every  village  lad  had  anxiously  looked  for. 

And  yet  it  was  evident,  even  to  the  prejudiced 
mind  of  the  Squire,  who  sat  at  the  head  of  the  six 
directors  on  the  long  slab  bench,  their  backs  rest- 
ing against  the  damp  wall,  that  Robert  Rayland 
bore  no  resemblance  whatever  to  the  long  line  of 
itinerant  Yankee  schoolmasters  who  had  for  a  gen- 
eration or  more  annually  made  application  to  his 
worship  for  a  certificate.  Whatever  his  ancestors 
may  have  been  in  their  day  and  generation,  it  was 
evident  that  he  had  been  educated  under  a  system 


300  Nicholas  Comenius. 

so  different  from  the  old  as  to  make  it  absolutely 
impossible  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  Jimmy 
McCune,  however  much,  for  the  sake  of  peace  and 
harmony,  he  might  have  so  desired. 

Robert  Rayland  was  at  no  time  dependent  upon 
the  school-room  for  a  living,  having  come  from  a 
distant  school,  like  hundreds  of  others  before  him, 
rather  to  spread  the  light  of  the  new  educational 
gospel,  which  had  illumined  every  New  England 
village,  than  to  earn  a  livelihood  as  the  teacher  of 
a  village  school.  And  so  wh£n  he  surveyed  the 
old  school  building  which  loomed  up  before  him 
in  the  distance,  he  never  for  a  moment  doubted 
that  in  the  end  he  would  come  out  victorious. 

It  is  true  he  had  entered  into  a  solemn  contract 
that  under  no  circumstances  were  any  of  the  new 
doctrines  advanced  by  the  new  Superintendent  to 
supersede  those  which  had  for  so  many  years  pre- 
vailed in  the  schools  of  Emden  district ;  but  he  had 
always  reasoned  on  the  principle  that  desperate 
cases  require  desperate  remedies,  and  that  "  suffi- 
cient unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof."  He  had 
also  hoped  that  he  might  be  permitted  to  enter  the 
school  without  attracting  the  attention  of  the  out- 
side world,  and  by  proceeding  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously, disarm  any  criticism  which  might  other- 
wise arise.  But  scarcely  had  he  turned  into  the 
pathway  to  the  school-house,  when  he  began  to 
realize  that  in  this  he  was  greatly  mistaken,  and 
that  he  would  have  to  meet  the  issue  in  a  straight- 


The  New  Teacher.  30! 

forward  way,  or  end  his  mission  in  ignominious 
failure. 

To  resurrect  one  of  the  old-time  masters  and 
induct  him  into  one  of  the  modern  schools  of  to- 
day, would  scarcely  provoke  more  criticism  than 
the  induction  of  a  down-east  educator  of  fifty  years 
ago  into  the  school  of  a  backwoods  district.  And 
so  it  is  but  natural  to  rely  upon  the  recollection 
and  experience  of  eye-witnesses  yet  living  for  any 
knowledge  of  historical  value  pertaining  to  that 
early  day.  We  will  let  our  old  friend  tell  the 
story  of  Robert  Rayland's  first  day  in  Emden 
school  in  his  own  words. 

u  IVe  attended  many  a  meeting  of  the  elders  over 
in  the  chapel, "  said  Nicholas,  "when  old  Parson 
Hoskins  was  engaged  in  reckoning  up  the  exact 
date  for  the  Ascension,  which  had  *  missed  fire'  so 
many  times  before  ;  and  I've  seen  the  Squire  stand- 
ing over  a  stack  of  law-books  arguing  a  point  of 
law  with  a  lot  of  hot-headed  clients  from  away 
over  the  hills ;  but  I've  never  seen  a  young  begin- 
ner with  no  practical  experience  handle  a  school 
in  the  way  that  young  professor  did.  He  didn't 
even  wait  for  an  introduction  by  the  president  of 
the  board  to  the  boys  and  girls  sitting  around,  but 
began  operations  as  if  he  had  been  in  the  business 
longer  than  old  Jimmy  himself.  Nor  did  he  stop 
to  explain  to  the  school  how  he'd  gotten  permission 
to  step  into  the  shoes  of  the  old  master ;  nor  ask 
the  Parson,  who  was  waiting  for  an  invitation,  to 


362  Nicholas  ComeniuS. 

offer  the  opening  prayer,  to  ease  up  things  a  little, 
as  was  the  custom  of  old  Jimmy  McCune ;  but  he 
walked  straight  up  to  the  desk  beside  the  old 
wood-stove,  which  was  warming  up  the  youngsters 
pretty  lively,  and  setting  his  foot  down  firmly  and 
looking  straight  into  the  faces  of  the  larger  boys, 
who  were  turning  and  twisting,  said  :  '  We'll  open 
school  by  reading  a  chapter  from  the  New  Testa- 
ment. '  I  don't  recall  the  whole  text,  but  remem- 
ber distinctly  the  words  '  He  that  receiveth  a 
righteous  man  in  the  name  of  a  righteous  man 
shall  receive  a  righteous  man's  reward.' 

"  Now  for  a  dozen  or  more  years  I'd  sat  under 
the  preaching  of  the  Parson,  and  I'd  heard  him 
read  many  a  long  chapter  before  he'd  begin  his 
discourses  on  the  final  ending  of  the  world  ;  but  I 
don't  recall  any  readings  to  compare  with  the  new 
teacher's.  The  words  as  they  fell  from  his  lips,  so 
clear  and  forcible,  so  full  of  divine  inspiration, 
made  a  deep  impression;  but  why  he  chose  that 
text  I  could  not  at  the  time  understand. 

"  That  there  was  a  deep  meaning  and  purpose  on 
the  part  of  the  new  teacher,  was  apparent  to  all. 
Erven  the  Squire  melted,  and  the  whole  school 
looked  solemn;  and  I  made  up  my  mind  that  the 
only  mistake  the  teacher  made  was  that  he  didn't 
get  to  preaching  instead  of  teaching,  as  he  wasn't 
engaged  to  read  the  Scriptures  himself,  but  to  let 
the  big  boys  and  girls  do  the  reading.  It  was  a 
big  feather  in  his  cap  with  some,  but  the  members 


The  New  Teacher.  303 

of  the  Parson's  congregation  said  it  was  a  reflection 
on  the  minister,  and  so  on  this  point  a  dispute 
arose  the  very  next  Sunday  over  in  the  chapel.  It 
seemed  like  a  bad  break  for  the  professor  to  make 
at  the  very  outstart,  but  it  turned  out  all  right  in 
the  end. 

u  The  Parson,  as  has  been  mentioned,  had  for 
some  years  been  preaching  the  '  Millerite'  doctrine, 
and  only  two  months  before  had  made  his  fifth  pre- 
diction that  the  end  of  all  things  terrestrial  was  to 
come  to  pass  the  day  previous  to  that  of  the  stated 
meeting  in  the  chapel ;  but  as  he  again  failed  to  hit 
the  mark,  and  no  ascension  took  place,  there  was 
the  liveliest  kind  of  a  disturbance.  So  the  Parson, 
to  account  in  some  way  for  the  mistake  in  the  date, 
charged  the  failure  to  the  new  system,  to  be  forced 
on  the  people  by  the  new  teacher  and  the  Superin- 
tendent. Before  the  professor  came  around  there 
was  no  freedom  of  conscience  among  the  people  of 
Emden  district,  except  what  was  allowed  by  the 
Parson,  who  kept  a  strict  watch  over  the  whole 
neighborhood  ;  and  Orlando's  word  was  law.  Yes, 
the  Parson  did  all  the  thinking  necessary  to  be 
done,  and  it  saved  the  people  a  power  of  trouble 
and  worriment  in  reconciling  all  the  knotty  and 
conflicting  points  in  the  Scriptures. 

"  Well,  the  next  thing  the  teacher  did  after  he 
had  finished  reading  the  chapter,  was  to  go  right 
among  the  children,  and  in  less  than  no  time  he 
had  taken  down  from  fifty  to  sixty  names;  and 


304  Nicholas  Comenius. 

some  of  them  were  mighty  tough  ones  at  that,  such 
as  Ebenezer,  Ezekiel,  Hezekiah,  Jeremiah,  and  the 
like;  but  when  he  called  the  roll  he  didn't  miss  a 
single  one.  Up  to  that  time  no  particular  fault 
could  be  found  with  his  work,  as  he  was  following 
in  the  master's  tracks  pretty  closely ;  but  from  that 
on  he  got  the  Squire  and  the  Board  so  tangled  they 
couldn't  begin  to  keep  up  with  the  exercises — and 
yet  they  couldn't  get  over  the  reading  of  that  chap- 
ter in  the  New  Testament  for  it  kept  telling  them 
inwardly  that  perhaps  after  all  they'd  better  ease 
up  a  little  on  the  new  teacher,  and  not  try  to  hold 
the  reins  too  tight  on  him. 

u  After  he  had  finished  calling  the  roll,  and 
while  all  were  in  doubt  as  to  the  next  move,  he 
had  the  school  stand  before  him  in  rows — the  little 
codgers  in  the  front  row  and  the  larger  ones  be- 
hind them,  like  a  set  of  soldiers  on  dress  parade. 
Then  he  unrolled  what  he  termed  a  newly-invented 
chart,  used,  as  he  said,  throughout  all  the  New 
England  schools,  and  about  half  the  size  of  the 
Squire's  window  shutter,  and  hung  the  queer-look- 
ing machine  on  the  wall,  right  over  the  heads  of 
the  trustees.  Looking  around,  he  soon  caught  on 
to  a  sapling  about  the  size  of  Farmer  Stevens' 
wagon-whip.  When  the  eyes  of  the  trustees  got  a 
view  of  this  they  were  greatly  pleased,  for  they 
thought  after  all  he  still  had  a  little  of  the  masters' 
blood  in  his  veins ;  but  the  big  boys  standing 
around  began  to  look  pale  and  nervous,  for  they 


Modern  MetJiods.  305 

didn't  know  how  soon  he  was  going  to  begin 
operations  in  the  old-fashioned  way. 

"  However,  when  he  opened  up  that  chart,  it  was 
all  covered  over  with  the  queerest  lot  of  ciphering, 
and  what  he  called  (  phonics '  and  'vowels,'  big 
and  little  words,  long  and  short  sentences,  so  that 
it  puzzled  even  the  Squire  to  figure  out  what  it 
had  to  do  with  keeping  school  in  the  old  way. 
First  he  took  the  little  codgers  on  the  short  words, 
then  the  larger  boys  and  girls  on  the  large  words 
and  sentences.  When  he  got  through  with  one 
side  he  turned  the  other  over,  and  still  kept  point- 
ing and  the  whole  school  kept  repeating  after  the 
teacher  for  more  than  an  hour. 

When  he  finished  the  geography  lesson — which 
almost  paralyzed  the  trustees,  for  they  had  never 
before  seen  a  school  taught  by  wholesale — his  eyes 
fell  at  last  upon  the  brightest  girl,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Squire  Benton.  Addressing  her  in  his 
firm  but  kindly  manner  he  said,  "Will  Hannah 
please  step  forward?"  And  Hannah,  the  modest, 
unassuming  village  girl  of  fourteen,  stepped  to  the 
front,  took  the  pointer  from  the  hand  of  Robert 
Rayland,  and  to  the  surprise  of  all  pointed  out  and 
repeated  word  for  word  the  entire  lesson  as  thor- 
oughly as  though  she  had  studied  the  various 
topics*  for  an  entire  winter.  But  while  this  new 
departure,  so  radically  at  variance  with  the  estab- 
lished methods  of  the  old  system,  met  with  a  hearty 
response  on  the  part  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  Em- 


306  Nicholas  Comenius. 

den,  there  were  loud  mutterings  of  disapproval 
among  the  local  authorities. 

"  For  well-nigh  another  hour  the  professor  kept 
right  along  teaching  the  youngsters^by  wholesale, 
and  running  the  school  according  to  scientific  prin- 
ciples, pretty  much  to  suit  himself.  He  never 
once  cast  an  inquiring  look  over  at  the  trustees, 
nor  in  the  direction  of  the  Parson,  who  was  stand- 
ing over  in  the  corner  taking  notes,  and  preparing 
to  take  a  hand  in  the  exercises  when  the  time 
came  for  inviting  visitors  to  say  a  word  or  two,  as 
was  the  custom  under  the  old  master.  But  as  I 
was  on  the  lookout  for  squalls,"  continued  Nicho- 
las, "  I  kept  my  eye  now  on  the  professor  and  then 
on  the  trustees  and  the  Squire,  who  were  boiling 
all  over  with  rage,  waiting  their  turn  to  get  a 
whack  at  the  school.  From  what  I  knew  of  the 
fighting  qualities  of  the  old  men  in  their  younger 
days,  I  felt  a  little  uneasy  for  the  safety  of  the 
young  man ;  and  so  I  stepped  over  to  his  side  in 
the  midst  of  the  exercises,  and  whispered  in  his  ear 
that  the  safest  thing  for  him  to  do  under  the  trying 
circumstances  was  to  slip  out  as  soon  as  the  exer- 
cises closed,  and  strike  the  shortest  trail  for  Boston/' 

"  Did  he  skip  the  town?"  we  asked. 

"  Skip?  Not  if  the  old  man's  recollection  serves 
him  right !  After  reading  the  thirteen  verses  of  the 
thirteenth  chapter  of  Corinthians,  and  marching 
the  whole  school  in  single  file  around  the  room, 
then  through  the  doorway,  he  turned  and  planted 


Modern  Methods.  307 

himself  directly  in  front  of  the  school  authorities. 
Looking  the  old  men  squarely  in  the  face,  he  smil- 
ingly said : 

"'Well,  gentlemen,  I  have  now  tried  to  do  my 
duty  to  the  school  to  the  best  of  my  ability:  how 
were  you  pleased  with  the  first  morning's  exercises? 
Any  suggestions  to  offer?  If  so,  I  shall  be  pleased 
to  hear  what  you  may  have  to  say. ' 

"  Now  this  flank  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher  was  more  than  the  six  district  overseers 
had  counted  on.  For  a  moment  they  all  sat  eying 
each  other  in  a  quizzical  way,  then,  amid  mutter- 
ings  of  disapproval,  one  after  another  attempted  to 
rise  to  the  floor.  But  the  teacher  gracefully  waved 
them  back  into  their  seats,  and  planting  himself 
between  the  Squire  and  Ebenezer  Lukins,  the 
President  of  the  Board,  said :  c  One  at  a  time, 
gentlemen;  we'll  hear  whatever  objections  you 
may  have  to  make.'  It  was  a  mighty  well-laid 
plan  to  capture  the  old  men  before  they  could  re- 
cover themselves;  and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the 
shrewdness  of  the  Parson,  the  young  teacher  would 
have  been  master  of  the  situation  from  that 
moment,  without  a  struggle. 

"  But  Orlando  Hoskins  wasn't  a  believer  in  the 
new  educational  system,  and  had  made  a  vow  only 
a  few  months  before  that  he'd  have  the  young 
stranger  out  of  the  school  inside  of  a  week ;  and  it 
was  the  Parson's  teachings  that  were  working  on 
the  minds  of  the  trustees  more  than  any  particular 


Nicholas  ComeniuS. 


ill-will  they  bore  to  the  new  teacher  personally. 
So  while  the  young  man  was  sitting  on  the  long 
bench  explaining  points  of  the  new  doctrines  to  the 
old  men,  who  were  bending  over  to  catch  every 

word,  the  Parson  rushed 
up  before  them  with 
clenched  fist  and  said: 
'As  your  pastor  and 
spiritual  adviser,  I  com- 
mand you  to  bounce  this 
young  Bostonian  instan- 
ter ;  otherwise  every 
mother's  son  will  be  left 
behind  when  Ascension 
day  comes  around,  and 
the  time  fixed  for  the 
Upward  Journey  isn't 
very  far  off.' 

uAt  this  peremptory 
summons  the  whole  six 
district  fathers  made  a 
plunge  for  the  door,  in 
their  haste  to  unhitch 
and  bridle  their  horses, 
which  stood  without.  A  few  moments  later  the 
several  officials  might  have  been  seen  galloping  in 
various  directions  in  eager  haste  to  reach  their 
homes,  lest  the  fatal  moment  might  overtake  them 
on  their  way.  Arm  in  arm  the  Squire  and  the 
Parson  jogged  along  on  foot,  leaving  the  young 


ORIyANDO   HOSKINS. 


Nicholas  and  Robert.  309 

teacher  standing  alone  within  the  doorway  of  the 
now  deserted  school-room. 

u  Seeing  the  young  professor  standing  there 
alone, "  continued  the  aged  father,  "  I  couldn't  pass 
over  to  the  old  homestead  with  an  easy  conscience 
without  giving  him  a  word  of  comfort.  Of  course 
I  hadn't  much  love  for  the  young  fellow  that  had 
robbed  old  Jimmy  of  his  calling,  but  as  I  thought 
over  the  closing  chapter  which  the  teacher  read — 
4  Though  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of 
angels,  and  have  not  charity,  I  am  become  as 
sounding  brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal ' — I  stepped  up 
to  the  door  and  said :  *  Young  man,  I  rather  pity 
you;  you're  a  stranger  in  these  parts,  trying,  I 
suppose,  to  perform  your  duty.  You  don't  seem  to 
have  a  friend  in  the  town,  unless  it  be  the  Squire's 
wife,  who  has  befriended  more  than  one  stranger 
when  the  whole  village  was  against  him.  It's  a 
mighty  tough  time  you'll  have  at  best,  in  trying  to 
plant  the  seed  of  the  new  doctrine  in  this  district. 
The  truth  is,  it  isn't  the  kind  of  seed  that  suits  the 
soil,  nor  the  kind  of  soil  that  suits  the  seed,  and 
that's  where  the  trouble  comes  in  with  your  teach- 
ing. There's  no  use  in  your  trying  to  convert  the 
trustees  to  your  new  kind  of  notions  until  you  have 
first  succeeded  in  converting  the  Squire  and  the 
Parson;  and  that  you'll  discover  to  be  a  mighty 
ticklish  operation.' 

u  Finding  the  young  master  willing  to  listen,  I 
continued;  'While  I  have  no  personal  feeling 


310  Nicholas  Comenius. 

against  you,  I  see  your  plan  of  teaching  school  in 
no  way  agrees  with  old  Jimmy's.  His  plan  may 
not  have  suited  the  youngsters,  but  it  pleased  the 
Squire  and  the  Parson  immensely,  while  your  plan 
suits  the  little  codgers  better  than  it  does  the 
trustees.  It's  the  overseers  you  must  reach,  young 
man,  and  to  reach  them  you've  got  to  make  terms 
with  the  Squire  and  Parson.  There's  the  Squire's 
been  running  the  politics  of  the  district  for  more 
than  forty  years,  and  there  has  never  been  a  trustee 
elected  in  all  that  time  that  was  not  the  first  choice 
of  Squire  Benton.  There  is  a  way  of  working  the 
old  man  if  you  can  manage  to  get  his  daughter 
Hannah  on  your  side ;  but  in  doing  so  beware  of 
the  Parson,  the  Parson's  wife  and  Malinda,  who 
are  mighty  jealous  of  the  Squire's  wife  and  his 
young  daughter  Hannah,  to  whom  you  were  kind 
of  showing  partiality  this  morning  by  having 
her  stand  before  the  whole  school  pointing  to  that 
machine  over  on  the  wall. 

"'There's  a  mighty  sight  of  difference,  young 
man,  in  the  way  of  keeping  school,  as  I've  observed 
in  my  day.  When  the  trustees  don't  want  any 
highfaluting  studies,  it's  best  to  stick  to  the  old 
way  of  doing  things,  and  give  them  what  they 
want.  It's  only  a  hint  I'm  giving  you,  but  take  a 
stranger's  advice  and  send  that  patent  machine  off 
to  Boston  on  the  first  coach.  It's  plain  teaching 
the  people  want,  and  in  the  old  way.  If  you  get 
down  to  retailing  out  your  knowledge,  instead  of 


Nicholas  and  Robert.  3 1 1 

wholesaling  it;  if  you'll  call  the  youngsters  up  one 
at  a  time  and  let  them  read  the  Scriptures  them- 
selves, and  stand  your  ground  for  a  year  or  two, 
maybe  you'll  come  out  all  right  in  the  end.' 

"  As  I  kept  looking  down  at  the  old  step,  then 
up  at  the  young  master,  1  couldn't  help  feeling 
kindly  toward  him,  as  he  stood  with  a  big  tear 
rolling  down  his  cheek  ;  but  he  never  said  a  word. 
It  was  getting  well  nigh  time  I  should  be  over  at 
the  farm;  so  I  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  said: 
'  You  seem  like  a  young  man  of  good  home  train- 
ing, that  has  come  over  to  these  parts  to  earn  an 
honest  living  in  keeping  school.  It  may  be  up-hill 
business  to  secure  respectable  quarters  for  one  of 
your  style  of  living.  If  you  can't  get  accommo- 
dations over  at  the  inn,  perhaps  I  may  be  able  to 
help  you.  So  good-by.' 

"And  as  I  turned  to  leave  him,  he  placed  his 
hand  upon  my  shoulder,  and  looking  into  my  eyes, 
and  then  at  the  old  stone  house,  spoke  in  language 
so  full  of  hope  and  tender  feeling,  that  for  a 
moment  I  scarce  knew  where  I  stood.  Then,  as 
he  drew  from  within  his  pocket  a  small  Bible,  he 
concluded,  '  Though  the  way  be  dark  and  gloomy, 
yet  within  this  little  book  shall  I  find  consolation.' 

"It  was  a  sad  parting,  my  friends;  and  as  I 
passed  through  the  gate  to  the  old  homestead,  I 
saw  the  young  master  turn  the  key  in  the  old  door, 
and  then  pass  onward  by  the  old  oak  toward  the 
village,  as  I  supposed  for  the  last  time." 


(312)  HANNAH  DIRECTS  ROBERT  TO  THE)  INN, 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SEEKING  QUARTERS — THE  GENERAL  WASHINGTON 


WHEN  Robert  Rayland  left  the  school-house  on 
that  lovely  autumn  noon  he  met  with  no  words  of 
encouragement  save  those  of  Nicholas  Comenius, 
but  quietly  and  alone,  in  communion  with  his  own 
inward  thoughts,  went  in  search  of  bed  and  board. 
Not  knowing  which  way  to  go,  as  the  boys  and 
girls  had  preceded  him  in  their  anxiety  to  carry  to 
their  homes  their  impressions  of  the  new  teacher, 
he  halted  at  the  intersection  of  the  only  two  streets 
in  the  village,  when  Hannah,  the  fair,  bright-eyed 
girl  to  whom  he  had  handed  the  pointer  but  a 
short  while  before,  stepped  forward  and  in  a  clear, 
gentle  voice,  said:  uls  it  the  inn  you  are  looking 
for?  Come,  and  I  will  direct  you."  So,  walking 
side  by  side,  they  soon  reached  the  only  tavern  in 
the  town,  a  dingy  two-story  structure,  built  away 
back  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
Giving  his  young  guide  a  pleasant  c  Thank  you,' 
he  stood  for  a  moment  beside  the  old  sign-post,  on 
which  was  suspended  a  large-sized  image  of  George 
Washington  and  directly  beneath,  the  word  "Inn." 


The  General  Washington^ 

For  a  moment  he  stood,  interested  in  one  of  those 
ponderous  Conestoga  teams,  with  white  canvas 
covers  drawn  tightly  over  the  bows,  laden  with 
grain,  pork  and  poultry,  and  drawn  by  eight  strong 
.  horses,  equipped  with  rows  of  bells,  their  constant 
jingle  keeping  time  with  the  horses'  hoofs  on  the 
solid  compact  road,  as  they  passed  through  the  vil- 
lage. Echoing  through  hill  and  dale  he  distinctly 
heard  the  sounds  of  the  antiquated  stage-horn, 
which  in  days  gone  by  gave  promise  to  mine  host 
of  well-filled  coffers.  A  moment  later  there  came 
rushing  up  to  the  old  inn  a  stage  coach,  drawn  by 
a  spanking  team  of  four-in-hand,  and  bearing  on 
its  sides  the  legend,  "  United  States  Mail."  A  few 
minutes'  halt,  exchange  of  mails,  and  with  a  flour- 
ish on  the  horn  the  stage  was  again  on  its  rapid 
way,  and  Robert,  opening  the  rickety  old  door, 
found  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  gaping  crowd  of 
hangers-on.  Some  lounged  on  benches,  others 
leaned  against  the  dingy  bar,  behind  which  stood 
the  form  of  the  portly  landlord,  dealing  out 
draughts  of  that  deadly  poison,  the  very  fumes  of 
which  nearly  took  the  breath  of  Robert  Rayland, 
and  almost  made  him  regret  he  had  ever  left  his 
quiet  and  happy  New  England  home.  The  inn- 
keeper being  thus  busily  engaged  in  appeasing  the 
thirst  of  the  "  regulars,"  Robert  was  left  to  bide 
his  time,  and  how  long  he  might  have  waited  he 
knew  not,  had  not  Hannah  stepped  through  the 
open  door,  and  in  a  low  sweet  voice  addressed  the 


31 6  Nicholas  Contemns. 

host :  "  Mr.  Bently,  this  is  the  new  teacher,  and 
mother  says  you  should  please  give  him  the  best 
room  in  the  house. "  With  this  remark  she  dis- 
appeared as  quietly  as  she  had  entered. 

Adjusting  his  spectacles  beneath  his  heavy  brows, . 
and  surveying  the  new-comer  from  head  to  foot, 
Oscar  exclaimed,  in  the  vernacular  so  common  to 
by-way  inns  of  that  day :  "  And  so  you  are  the 
young  professor  the  new  Superintendent  sent  to 
take  the  place  of  old  Jimmy  McCune?  You  look 
like  a  slick  sort  of  a  chap  with  no  whiskers  on 
your  face,  but  I  don't  think  you'll  ever  suit  the 
trustees  of  this  district.  However,  as  the  Squire's 
wife  has  given  you  a  recommend,  I  guess  we'll 
have  to  find  a  room  somewhere  that  isn't  occupied 
by  the  regulars.  How  long  we'll  keep  you  will 
depend ;  that  is,  the  fellow  that  expects  the  best 
room  in  the  house  mustn't  be  too  particular  what 
he  eats  and  drinks,  and  must  be  liberal  down  here 
at  the  bar ;  because  with  the  high  price  of  pork 
and  other  provisions  nowadays,  a  landlord  might 
as  well  shut  up  shop  and  go  to  teaching  school 
himself,  unless  his  boarders  fall  in  and  give  him  a 
lift  at  the  bar.  So  the  price  of  good  living  will 
depend ;  that  is,  we'll  take  you  on  trial  for  a  week, 
and  maybe  the  price  will  go  up,  and  maybe  it'll  go 
down  ;  and  if  the  latter,  it'll  be  because  the  spirits 
go  down  accordingly — understand,  eh?" 

Whether  Robert  Rayland  took  in  the  exact  situ- 
ation he  gave  no  outward  indication,  either  from 


The  General  Washington.  317 

his  expression  or  his  manner ;  but  wheeling  on  his 
heel  he  sought  the  bright  outer  world,  where  he 
stood  for  a  moment,  his  eye  resting  on  the  sign- 
board, from  which  the  face  of  George  Washington 
was  reflected  in  the  soft  rays  of  the  autumn  sun- 
shine. Long  and  intently  he  gazed  on  those  noble 
features,  now  faded  almost  beyond  recognition  by 
the  blasts  of  many  a  long  winter.  His  reflections 
naturally  carried  him  back  to  his  boyhood  days  at 
school,  and  he  vividly  recalled  the  first  book  he 
had  ever  read.  It  was  none  other  than  the  life  and 
character  of  this  same  George  Washington;  and  as 
he  surmised  that  possibly  the  old  tavern  stood  not 
far  from  a  famous  Revolutionary  battle-field,  he 
concluded  that  it  was  altogether  possible  that  in 
years  gone  by,  he  too  might  have  occupied  the  best 
room  in  the  old  inn.  With  these  thoughts  revolv- 
ing through  his  mind,  a  new  inspiration  seemed  to 
revive  within  him,  and  he  reasoned  within  himself 
that  what  George  Washington  had  withstood, 
Robert  Ray  land  might  also  survive. 

A  moment  later,  however,  he  was  awakened  from 
his  meditation  by  the  sound  of  voices  that  seemed 
to  reach  his  ear  from  an  open  window  of  a  red 
sandstone  dwelling  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
road;  a  structure  so  antiquated  and  so  unsightly  as 
to  bear  the  unmistakable  imprint  of  the  last 
century,  and  on  the  door  of  which  was  painted  in 
large  letters  "Law  Office  of  Squire  Benton."  It 
was  also  evident  from  the  intonations  which  fell 


318  Nicholas  Comenius. 

upon  his  ear,  that  among  the  voices  there  was  at 
least  one  "female  striving  for  the  ascendency  in  the 
argument,  whatever  the  subject  might  be. 

Before  he  could  realize  the  cause  of  this  sudden 
and  unexpected  commotion,  his  attention  was  at- 
tracted in  quite  an  opposite  direction.  In  the 
vicinity  of  the  village  school  a  motley  crowd  had 
gathered,  for  what  purpose  he  could  only  surmise. 

At  this  moment  the  portly  form  of  the  inn- 
keeper appeared  at  the  door,  announcing  that  the 
noon-day  meal  was  now  ready.  Whatever  appetite 
Robert  may  have  had  when  he  left  the  school- 
room was  banished  by  the  general  appearance  of 
the  surroundings  ;  yet  he  had  but  one  alternative — 
either  to  seek  quarters  elsewhere,  whither  he  knew 
not,  or  fall  into  line  with  the  regulars.  Following 
the  proprietor  through  the  bar-room,  and  thence 
along  a  dingy  passage  with  low  ceiling,  he  reached 
the  dining-room,  if  this  modern  term  may  be  ap- 
plied to  what  was  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  cold 
and  cheerless  room  extending  the  entire  length  of 
the  building.  A  pale  glimmer  came  through  the 
four  small  windows,  with  their  four-by-six  lights. 
If  the  blue-marked  walls  were  uninviting,  how 
much  more  so  was  the  table,  with  a  gray  oil-cloth 
covering  whose  ragged  edges  indicated  its  age,  and 
along  both  sides  of  which  extended  slab  benches, 
without  backs,  over  one  of  which  it  was  necessary 
for  the  teacher  to  step  in  order  to  crowd  himself 
between  two  of  the  regulars  as  best  as  he  could. 


The  General  Washington. 

For  a  moment  Robert  sat  in  bewilderment,  sur- 
veying an  immense  bowl  which  stood  in  the  centre 
of  the  table,  and  an  old-fashioned  tin  dipper  in 
the  hand  of  the  trusty  landlord,  who  was  at  that 
moment  engaged  in  dealing  out  a  plentiful  supply 
of  what  he  termed  pumpkin-hash,  a  dainty  and 
familiar  dish  u  not  to  be  sneezed  at n  by  the 
hangers-on  in  the  only  tavern  in  the  town  of 
Emden.  A  second  supply  was  tendered  Robert 
long  before  he  had  exhausted  the  first,  and  upon 
his  refusal  to  hand  up  his  dish  a  second  time,  the 
burly  inn-keeper  grew  impatient,  and  looking  him 
straight  in  the  face  said :  u  Young  man,  I  see  you 
aren't  accustomed  to  good  living.  Now  pumpkin- 
hash  in  September  and  October  is  like  turkey  at 
Christmas,  or  pork  and  beans  in  January.  It's 
stimulating  and  good  for  the  blood  ;  in  fact  it  beats 
snapper  soup  all  hollow,  and  why  shouldn't  it? 
Look  at  the  pumpkins  out  in  the  field,  growing 
among  the  corn  and  turnips.  Of  course  you're 
from  the  city,  and  aren't  used  to  the  flavor ;  but  in 
time  your  taste  will  be  cultivated  so  that  you'll 
want  it  like  the  regulars,  every  day  in  the  week 
and  twice  on  Sunday.  My  good  woman's  been 
making  and  I've  been  serving  this  dish  out  to  the 
boys  for  more  than  twenty  years  every  September 
and  October,  and  I  tell  you  it  knocks  all  your  high- 
toned  bills-of-fare  higher  than  a  kite.  In  fact  I've 
had  old  Dr.  Henry  diagnose  the  whole  pumpkin 
family,  and  he  has  certified  in  writing  that  the 


Nicholas  Comenius. 

yellow  pumpkin  will  cure  more  ailments  than  half 
the  drugs  in  the  materia  medica.  It  will  cure 
dyspepsia  and  laziness  in  any  young  fellow  that 
hasn't  got  anything  more  to  do  than  keep  school 
and  mind  the  children.  It  beats  the  bayberry 
bush  at  curing  the  toothache,  and  discounts  Seneca 
rattlesnake  oil  at  making  the  whiskers  grow.  So 
take  my  word,  young  man,  and  eat  a  plentiful 
supply  of  pumpkin-hash.  Have  another  dish? 
Well,  maybe  by  supper  time  you'll  enjoy  fried 
turnips  and  carrots,  another  dish  that'll  help  diges- 
tion even  better  than  the  hash,  if  it  hasn't  got  the 
flavor." 

After  Robert  had  succeeded  in  getting  one  foot 
and  then  the  other  over  the  old  bench,  had  reached 
the  bar-room,  and  was  in  the  act  of  selecting  his 
hat,  which  had  become  part  of  a  heap  of  possibly 
more  than  a  dozen,  of  every  size,  shape  and  color, 
proposing  to  seek  relief  in  an  adjoining  field  where 
the  yellow  pumpkins  lay  basking  in  the  bright 
sunshine  in  all  the  glory  of  an  October  noon,  he 
was  met  by  the  shrill  voice  of  the  inn-keeper,  who 
had  followed  him  into  the  bar-room : 

"Want  a  little  spirits  to  settle  your  dinner? 
Have  got  something  nice  and  mild  that's  invigorat- 
ing to  the  system.  A  little  after  dinner  always 
makes  the  regulars  feel  cheerful,  and  whets  up 
their  appetites  for  something  stronger  later  in  the 
day.  It's  what  always  stimulated  the  mental  fac- 
ulties of  the  old  masters,  and  set  their  minds  to 


The  General  Washington.  321 

working  like  a  spinning  wheel  when  in  the  school- 
room. If  you  aren't  prepared  to  plank  down  the 
cash  we'll  start  where  Michael  O' Parrel  left  off, 
and  you  can  settle  up  at  the  end  of  the  month, 
when  the  trustees  pay  off  in  hard  cash.  Here's 
Michael's  account-book  still  open  for  the  last 
month,  unsettled,  and  maybe  you'll  obligate  your- 
self to  square  up  his  account  when  you  pay  your 
own.  You  see,  the  example  set  by  the  new  teacher 
at  the  start  has  a  powerful  effect  on  the  whole 
district.  If  he's  polite  and  accommodating,  and 
stands  treat  now  and  then,  it  kind  of  keeps  up  the 
reputation  of  the  house  ;  but  if  he's  stuck-up  and 
high-minded,  and  won't  take  good  advice,  he'll  run 
ashore  before  he's  been  in  the  district  a  month. 

u  So  I  tell  you  it's  the  General  Washington  inn 
that's  done  more  in  shaping  public  opinion  around 
this  neck  of  woods  than  all  the  school-houses  in  the 
district.  There's  the  Squire  across  the  way,  who's 
been  dealing  out  law  for  more  than  forty  years,  has 
been  taking  his  nips  three  times  a  day,  unbeknown 
to  his  woman,  who's  a  mighty  intelligent  sort  of  a 
housewife,  but  her  head's  twisted  so  badly  on  tem- 
perance and  manners,  education  and  the  like,  that 
you  can  hear  them  arguing  for  hours  at  a  time. 
Yes,  the  Squire  would  have  been  lying  in  the  old 
churchyard  over  there  long  ago,  or  gone  clear 
beside  himself  from  worry,  if  he  hadn't  lost  the 
hearing  of  his  right  ear,  or  couldn't  get  something 
comforting  over  here  at  the  bar  to  ease  up  his  mind 
21 


322  Nicholas  Cumenius. 

a  little  after  the  old  lady's  got  him  all  tangled  up. 
May  be  you'd  better  take  a  seat,  for  the  Squire'll 
be  along  for  a  nip  as  soon  as  the  argument  ends 
which  has  been  going  on  for  over  an  hour  in  the 
office.  Take  my  word  for  it,  young  stranger,  and 
don't  get  mixed  up  with  the  women-folks  of  this 
town,  or  you  might  just  as  well  pack  up  and  take 
the  next  stage  for  Boston.  It's  as  plain  as  teaching 
school  that  you  can't  play  in  with  the  Squire  and 
the  old  lady  at  the  same  time.  You  might  as  well 
try  to  mix  the  water  from  the  old  well  with  the 
straight  stuff  from  the  old  still,  and  expect  to  get 
it  off  on  the  Squire  as  the  genuine  article." 

The  next  moment  there  was  a  sudden  creaking 
of  the  door  leading  from  the  hall-way,  and  Squire 
Benton,  pale  and  nervous,  stood  at  his  accustomed 
place  at  the  bar.  He  made  no  effort  to  indicate 
his  mission,  for  before  he  had  made  it  known  the 
keen  instinct  of  Oscar  Bently  had  placed  before 
him  a  little  brown  jug.  After  satisfying  his  thirst, 
and  before  he  could  turn  to  depart,  his  eye,  keen 
and  piercing,  fell  on  the  form  of  Robert  Rayland. 
Drawing  a  small  slip  of  paper  from  his  pocket  he 
handed  it  to  Robert,  saying,  u  Read  this!"  and 
without  trying  to  explain  its  contents  withdrew. 

For  a  moment  Robert  sat  spellbound  on  the  long 
bench,  holding  the  note  unopened  in  his  hand. 
Then  he  rose  and  left  the  bar-room,  without  a 
word,  and  walked  away  slowly  in  the  direction  of 
the  school-house.  A  few  moments  later  he  might 


"Insubordination" 


323 


have  been  seen  standing  before  the  old  building, 
where  he  opened  the  Squire's  note  and  read : 

"  School  closed.  Report  at  the  office  of  Squire  Benton  at 
seven  to-morrow  evening,  to  answer  the  charge  of  insubordina- 
tion." 


On  the  panel  of  the  door  he  also  read,  u  Closed 
on  account  of  insubordination  of  teacher. n 

Whatever  effect  the  environments  of  the  old  inn 
and  its  surroundings  may  have  produced  on  Robert 


324  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Rayland  during  the  one  short  hour  when  he  took 
his  first  meal  therein,  he  was  no  longer  the  half- 
hearted individual  he  had  been  the  moment  before, 
when  almost  determined  in  his  own  mind  to  yield 
to  conditions  which  he  was  led  to  believe  he  could 
never  control.  From  the  very  depths  of  his  inner 
nature  a  self  confidence  seemed  to  arise,  and  he 
stood  strong  in  the  strength  of  his  own  character 
and  manhood.  Tearing  the  note  into  fragments,  and 
rising  equal  to  the  occasion,  he  exclaimed:  "Yes, 
stranger  though  I  am,  yet  will  I  face  not  only 
the  Squire  and  his  emissaries,  but  a  regiment  of 
school  officers,  if  necessary. " 

Pursuing  his  way  in  the  opposite  direction, 
where  he  might  commune  alone  with  nature  and 
his  own  thoughts,  he  at  last  reached  a  cluster  of 
cedars,  beneath  which  he  sat  himself  down  to  medi- 
tate over  the  course  he  was  going  to  pursue  in  the 
trying  ordeal  that  awaited  him.  How  many 
thoughts  of  home  and  its  associations  throbbed 
through  his  mind !  Was  the  compensation  equal 
to  the  sacrifice  he  had  made,  in  abandoning  home 
and  friends  to  accept  a  situation  in  a  backwoods 
district,  surrounded  by  deep-rooted  prejudices 
which  it  might  take  years  to  eradicate?  While 
these  meditations  were  uppermost  in  his  mind,  he 
was  startled  by  the  sweet  voice  of  Hannah  Benton. 
He  was  hardly  able  to  realize  his  position  when  a 
note  was  handed  to  him,  the  bearer  hurriedly  de- 
parting. A  glance  at  the  inscription  satisfied  him 


Mrs.  Benton  Encourages  Robert.       325 

that  it  was  not  the  Squire's  handwriting.     It  read 
as  follows : 

"  Mr.  RAYI,AND  :  You  are  a  stranger  in  our  village,  but  fear 
not;  you  have  one  friend  here  who  will  see  that  justice  is  done 
you.  Stand  firm.  Your  cause  is  a  just  one,  and  justice  must 
always  prevail  in  the  office  of  Squire  Benton. 

"MARY  BENTON." 

Retracing  his  steps,  he  was  soon  within  the 
shadow  of  the  old  inn,  around  which  had  congre- 
gated a  number  of  idle  loungers,  intently  engaged 
in  discussing  the  probable  outcome  of  the  trial. 
Foremost  among  the  motley  gathering  was  a  tall, 
handsome-looking  man  of  perhaps  forty,  of  more 
than  the  average  intelligence.  His  remarks  were 
distinctly  audible  to  Robert  as  he  stood  half- 
concealed  behind  the  old  town  pump,  which  had 
done  service  for  many  a  long  year  in  quenching 
the  thirst  of  man  and  beast. 

"I'll  tell  you  now,  men,"  said  he,  "that  young 
chap  is  going  to  come  out  of  this  scrimmage  with- 
out losing  a  feather,  because  the  Squire's  wife  is 
on  his  side  and  against  the  old  man.  I  know  what 
I'm  saying,  for  I  heard  the  fracas  along  about  noon 
over  at  the  office,  where  the  Squire  was  reading  up 
the  law  on  insubordination.  Before  he  had  got 
more  than  half  through,  the  old  lady  took  the  big 
book  and  pointed  out  the  law  to  the  Squire  and 
turned  down  the  corner  of  the  page,  and  that 
settled  it.  There'll  be  no  conviction  in  this  case 
unless  Mrs.  Benton  gets  another  spell  of 


326  Nicholas  Comenius. 

rheumatism  before  the  thing  comes  to  trial ;  and  I 
don't  think  there  is  any  danger  in  that  direction, 
for  she's  been  flying  around  with  Hannah  and  the 
other  girls  all  day,  in  better  spirits  than  I've  seen 
her  in  twenty  years.  If  they  convict  the  young 
professor  they'll  have  to  bounce  the  whole  crowd, 
for  I  heard  the  Squire  say  that  all  the  other 
teachers  had  been  suspended  for  teaching  the  same 
kind  of  pernicious  doctrines." 

This  last  expression  satisfied  Robert  that,  what- 
ever the  outcome  might  be,  he  would  not  stand 
alone  in  the  ordeal  which  awaited  him. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

EMDKN   FAIR  WEEK — ORLANDO'S   UNFULFILLED 
PROPHECY. 

MANY  indeed  were  the  strange  visions  which 
disturbed  the  slumbers  of  Robert  Rayland  in  his 
dismal  attic  during  the  first  night's  sojourn  at  the 
General  Washington.  However  well  fortified  he 
may  have  been  against  the  superstitious  influences 
that  surrounded  the  native  inhabitants,  the  very 
appearance  of  the  dingy  stairway  over  which  he 
directed  his  steps  by  the  pale  glimmer  of  a  tallow 
dip,  produced  within  him  a  feeling  of  loneliness. 
As  the  long  hours  wore  on,  the  creaking  of  a  door 
on  rusty  hinges,  the  rattling  of  a  window  sash,  the 
gnawing  of  a  chipmunk  within  the  cornice  of  the 
weather-beaten  roof,  unconsciously  acted  upon  his 
imagination.  Forebodings  of  coming  trouble  with 
the  crusty  Oscar,  grave  apprehensions  as  to  the 
result  of  the  trial  upon  which  his  own  position 
depended,  the  lurking  opposition  of  Orlando  Hos- 
kins — all  these  combined  to  render  the  long  night 
one  of  intense  anxiety. 

At  the  first  hour  of  returning  day,  however, 
Robert's  attention  was  directed  toward  the  Market 

327 


Fair  Week  at  Emden.  329 

Square,  which  extended  directly  beyond  the  gable 
of  the  historic  hostelry.  What  strange  combina- 
tion of  circumstances  had  so  suddenly  transformed 
this  staid  old  thoroughfare,  in  so  short  a  time,  into 
a  Babel  of  moving,  active  life?  As  far  as  the  eye 
could  penetrate,  every  available  foot  of  space 
seemed  to  be  occupied  by  a  motley  crowd  of  grunt- 
ing, noisy  animals,  rickety  carts,  cackling  fowls, 
and  nondescript  horses.  The  Bedlam  of  sounds 
which  met  his  ear  was  equaled  only  by  the  hurry- 
to  and  fro  of  men,  women  and  children  in  their 
efforts  to  arrange  their  products  to  the  best  possible 
advantage.  To  his  bewildered  mind  it  seemed 
that  the  entire  rural  community  had  during  the 
early  morning  hours  deserted  home  and  fireside, 
accompanied  by  all  their  earthly  possessions. 
Even  the  pigs  from  the  sty,  the  sheep  from  the 
fold,  the  lazy  curs  from  the  kennel;  mothers  with 
squalling  babies  in  their  arms,  followed  by  sprawl- 
ing youngsters  at  their  heels — all  had  taken  pos- 
session of  the  Square  and  its  surroundings,  but  for 
what  purpose  Robert  was  unable  to  determine. 
Prompted  by  curiosity,  and  a  desire  to  learn  the 
cause  of  this  sudden  upheaval,  Robert  dressed  him- 
self, and  a  few  moments  later  stood  face  to  face 
with  the  erratic  proprietor  of  the  famous  inn. 

uAh,  ha,  my  young  friend,"  said  Oscar,  greet- 
ing Robert  with  outstretched  hand;  "a  pretty 
early  riser  for  a  young  schoolmaster!  Take  my 
advice  and  keep  retiring  early  and  rising  with  the 


330  Nicholas  Comenius. 

lark,  and  you'll  grow  rich  by  the  saving  of  tallow 
dips  alone.  Up  early  preparing  for  the  trial,  eh  ? 
Awfully  sorry  you've  made  such  a  break  in  your 
first  day's  teaching,  for  I've  kind  of  taken  a  liking 
to  your  ways,  even  if  they  don't  suit  the  trustees. 
Keep  an  observing  eye  on  the  Squire's  office  across 
the  way,  for  there's  something  brewing  unbeknown 
to  the  Squire,  but  it's  hard  to  reckon  out  whether 
it's  in  your  favor  or  against  you.  I  noticed  the 
best  horse  in  the  stable's  been  missing  since  long 
before  daylight,  and  the  best  rider  in  the  village  is 
astraddle  of  'Captain  Jim,'  galloping  away  to  the 
Capital  with  a  message  from  Hannah's  mother. 
It  may  be  encouraging  news  to  you,  and  it  may  be 
the  reverse;  but  keep  a-hoping,  young  man.  Have 
a  nip  on  the  sly  before  the  crowd  comes  pouring  in 
and  the  commotion  begins?" 

"  Commotion?"  repeated  Robert,  who  was  not 
without  serious  misgivings  lest  the  crowd  had 
already  come  to  witness  the  trial,  which  was  to 
take  place  during  the  early  evening. 

uWhy,  young  man,  have  you  never  attended  a 
country  fair?  Come  now,  and  don't  be  pleading 
your  ignorance.  Never  hear  of  Emden  Fair  week  ? 
Biggest  thing  on  earth  when  it  gets  under  full 
blast,  and  known  all  over  the  land,  from  Canada  to 
the  Gulf.  Take  my  advice,  young  man,  and  get 
to  practicing  on  your  muscle,  for  your  fine  clothes 
and  occupation  will  get  you  into  a  fracas  with  the 
wild  lads  of  Shaky  Hollow  before  you've  seen  more 


Fair  Week  at  Emden.  331 

than  half  the  sights.  Keep  your  hand  on  your 
wallet,  and  don't  get  to  betting  on  the  first  horse 
in  sight.  Yes,  take  an  old  man's  advice  and  keep 
an  observing  eye  on  the  jugglers  and  fellows  prowl- 
ing around,  the  fakirs  and  light-fingered  gentry, 
and  don't  pick  'em  up  for  hayseeds,  or  you'll  be 
short  in  your  boarding  account  before  the  week's 
half  round.  Fair  week  !  why,  bless  my  stars,  it's 
worth  more  to  the  General  Washington  than  half- 
a  dozen  years  of  camp-meeting,  and  discounts 
circus  and  battalion  days  two  to  one.  It's  a  great 
school  for  educating  the  public,  and  gives  the 
young  men  on  the  farms  more  practical  experience 
than  the  masters  could  give  them  out  of  books  in  a 
life- time.  It's  a  wonderful  help  to  the  village,  and 
starts  money  flowing  around  the  General  Washing- 
ton freer  than  air;  for  it's  an  old  saying,  that  when 
the  landlord's  prosperous  and  the  potato  crop's  a 
success,  there's  no  danger  of  a  famine. 

u  If  my  memory  serves  me  right,"  continued 
Oscar,  as  he  cast  an  observing  eye  through  the 
window  at  a  long  line  of  conveyances  passing 
toward  the  Square,  u there's  been  only  one  Fair 
week  in  the  history  of  the  village  that  didn't 
measure  up  in  size  and  standing,  and  it  came 
mighty  near  bankrupting  the  whole  town.  It 
wasn't  the  fault  of  the  weather,  nor  the  hard  times 
either;  for  the  crops  had  been  bountiful,  and  the 
prices  had  gone  up  a  peg  or  two  in  anticipation  of 
^  skirmish  between  Mexico  and  Uncle  Sam.  No, 


332  Nicholas  Comenius. 

it  was  owing  to  what  some  call  a  Divine  visitation, 
threatened  by  the  Parson,  to  punish  the  wicked 
sinners  of  the  town  who  had  been  neglecting  their 
spiritual  duties,  and  giving  all  their  attention  to 
worldly  affairs. " 

uThe  Parson  ?"  mildly  interposed  Robert,  anx- 
ious to  learn  anything  of  interest  concerning  the 
aged  minister,  whom  he  had  cause  to  fear.  "  Was 
the  Parson  running  the  Fair?" 

u  No,  it  wasn't  his  running  it  that  brought  on 
the  trouble,  but  his  bursting  up  the  machine 
before  it  had  gotten  under  full  head  of  steam. 
Understand,  it  all  came  about  in  a  miraculous  sort 
of  way,  and  many  of  the  people  haven't  gotten 
over  the  scare,  and  aren't  likely  to  till  their  dying 
day.  It  occurred  in  this  way,"  said  Oscar,  with  a 
motion  of  his  short,  stubby  arm.  "  While  the 
Parson  was  reckoning  on  a  bright,  crisp  morning 
for  the  'send  off,'  he  accidentally  struck  the  mid- 
dle of  Fair  week  for  the  appointed  day,  and  kept 
the  secret  tied  up  in  his  bosom  until  he  had  gotten 
all  the  wicked  old  sinners  planted,  with  all  their 
earthly  possessions,  right  over  in  front  of  the 
parsonage.  It's  an  awful  sad  story  I'm  relating, 
young  man,  and  to  think  of  it  starts  the  cold 
shivers  running  down  my  back  faster  than  the 
blood  passes  through  my  veins;  for  it  was  a 
mighty  narrow  escape  for  old  Oscar  to  make,  and 
still  be  doing  business  at  the  old  stand. 

"  You  see,  while  the  proprietor  of  the  General 


Orlando  s  Prophecy.  333 

Washington  was  standing  behind  the  bar,  making 
the  young  chaps  feel  kind  o'  merry,  and  while  the 
whole  town  was  promenading  around,  taking  a 
hand  in  the  races  and  betting  their  last  dollar  on 
their  favorite  nag,  the  Parson  stepped  over  into  the 
thickest  of  the  crowd  and  began  proclaiming  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  :  *  Gentlemen,  I  see  you  have 
all  been  having  a  pretty  lively  time  winning  and 
losing,  but  it's  time  you're  turning  your  attention 
to  spiritual  affairs.  Better  stop  to  consider  what 
preparations  you've  all  been  making  for  the  Up- 
ward Journey  ;  for  the  time  has  arrived,  and  the 
hour  is  set  for  the  Ascension,  ten  to-night,  full 
moon. ' 

"  You  seem  to  be  smiling  and  making  light  of 
my  story  ;  but  if  you  had  been  old  Oscar  instead 
of  a  stripling  of  a  master,  you'd  have  more  practi- 
cal experience  and  less  of  what  they  call  theory  in 
your  get-up.  It  was  a  sorrowful  occasion,  and  the 
announcement  came  so  sudden  that  even  those 
who  were  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the  house 
rushed  out,  one  after  the  other,  forgetting  to  square 
up  for  the  last  round,  which  is  still  on  the  slate, 
unsettled.  But  out  on  the  race-track,  among  the 
'  professionals '  who  came  from  the  city,  there  was 
the  liveliest  kind  of  a  commotion.  In  less  than 
five  minutes  by  the  sun-dial,  every  old  sinner  who 
had  been  reaping  in  the  cold  cash  from  his  next- 
door  neighbor  got  to  paying  it  back  with  interest, 
by  way  of  easing  up  his  conscience.  Then  the 


334  Nicholas  Comemus. 

fellows  that  were  swearing  the  hardest  got  to  pray- 
ing the  loudest. 

44  My  young  friend,  have  you  ever  seen  a  camp- 
meeting  broken  up  by  a  hornet's  nest  at  the  very 
moment  the  congregation  was  shouting  and  rejoic- 
ing the  loudest?  Well,  before  night  came  along 
there  wasn't  a  sign  left  of  the  Fair,  except  a  lot  of 
provisions  and  a  stray  horse  here  and  there.  It 
was  the  worst  stampede  that  ever  befell  the  coun- 
try since  George  Washington  drove  the  Hessians 
out  of  the  old  fort  beyond.  It  was  easy  enough 
getting  out  of  town  for  some,  who  took  to  their 
heels,  and  over  the  fields  and  fences  they  went  fly- 
ing, expecting  every  moment  to  feel  old  Satan 
hanging  to  their  coat-tails.  But  the  worst  scared 
chaps  you  ever  laid  your  eyes  on  were  the  profes- 
sionals, who  came  to  teach  the  country  boys  how 
to  make  enough  money  in  a  week  to  keep  them  in 
easy  circumstances  for  the  balance  of  the  year. 
Yes,  it  was  the  first  experience  of  a  religious  turn 
that  they'd  ever  had;  and  on  they  came  rushing, 
one  after  the  other,  up  to  the  door  of  the  General 
Washington,  looking  as  pale  as  death  and  inquir- 
ing for  the  departure  of  the  first  stage,  which 
wasn't  booked  to  arrive  until  the  following  morn- 
ing." 

••"  Converted    to   the    Parson's   new   doctrine?" 
asked  Robert. 

u  Well,  some  were  and  some  weren't ;  but  as  the 
•time  set  for  the  Upward  Journey  was  approaching, 


The  Gamblers  Scared.  335 

I  felt  it  was  a  pretty  sad  predicament  they'd  gotten 
themselves  into,  away  from  their  families  and 
friends  ;  so  I  took  pity  on  them  and  said  :  4  As  you 
look  rather  crestfallen  and  broken  up,  I  shall  be 
only  too  happy  to  make  your  last  moments  as  easy 
as  the  circumstances  will  permit.  If  you  need  any 
spiritual  advice,  I'll  send  for  the  Parson,  who's  a 
mighty  forgiving  kind  of  a  man  under  such  trying 
circumstances.  Or  if  you  want  to  make  your  will, 
I'll  send  over  for  the  Squire,  who's  got  more  than 
a  hundred  of  those  documents  stored  away  in  his 
iron  chest  for  safe-keeping  in  case  a  stray  relative 
should  turn  up  here  and  there  after  the  ceremonies.' 

"Then  I  approached  the  leader,  who  was  lean- 
ing against  the  bar  for  support,  like  this,"  con- 
tinued Oscar,  imitating  the  action,  u  for  he  looked 
as  if  he  had  been  a  sinner  all  his  life,  and  said  to 
him,  '  Maybe,  old  man,  your  winnings  are  troub- 
ling your  conscience  more  than  is  good  for  your 
health.  You  see,  there's  a  disadvantage  in  carry- 
ing the  precious  metal  and  the  cards  around  in 
your  clothes,  as  the  weight  may  interfere  with  the 
Upward  Journey,  and  prevent  your  getting  a  seat 
in  the  front  row  beside  the  Parson  and  his  family.' 
But  he  only  shook  his  head  in  a  sorrowful  way. 
By  this  time  a  change  seemed  to  be  working  in  the 
young  professionals,  but  the  hardened  old  sinners, 
dressed  up  in  their  broadcloth  and  diamonds,  kept 
swearing  one  minute  and  praying  the  next. 

uFor  a  time  I  couldn't  understand  what  kept 


336  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  old  wood  stove  boiling  and  steaming,  for  there 
hadn't  been  a  stick  of  hickory  thrown  in  for  more 
than  an  hour.  But  I  soon  made  a  discovery.  First 
one  pack  of  cards  went  in,  and  then  another;  and 
after  they'd  gotten  rid  of  the  cards,  thimbles  and 
the  like,  they  all  took  their  seats  around  the  stove 
and  began  confessing  their  sins  one  to  another,  for 
parting  company  with  the  cards  seemed  to  ease  up 
their  feelings.  After  more  than  half  an  hour  of 
this  confessional,  one  after  another  arose,  and  their 
leader  said  :  'Old  man,  it's  a  mighty  sad  predica- 
ment we're  in,  and  no  way  of  getting  out  of  the 
town  except  going  out  with  the  old  minister  in  a 
way  we're  not  accustomed  to  traveling;  but  we're 
all  reconciled  to  joining  the  procession.'  It  was  a 
curious  sight  to  look  into  the  faces  of  those  men,  I 
can  assure  you." 

"  And  did  the  Squire  take  charge  of  the  cash?" 
inquired  Robert. 

u  No,  they  said  they'd  take  the  chance  of  taking 
it  with  them  ;  and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Amelia, 
who  had  been  keeping  an  eye  on  the  strangers, 
they'd  have  skipped  out  without  settling  up  their 
account  with  the  General  Washington." 

"And  so,"  remarked  Robert,  "  the  proprietor 
of  the  General  Washington  had  also  become  recon- 
ciled to  leaving  all  his  earthly  possessions  behind?" 

"  Let  me  tell  you,  young  man,  an  old  soldier  of 
the  war  of  1812  has  no  fear.  It's  Oscar  Bently 
who  has  kept  his  eye  on  the  old  General  out  on  the 


Seeing  the  Fair.  337 

sign-board — General  Washington,  first  in  war,  first 
in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen." 

"  But  how  comes  it  you  are  still  in  evidence, 
dealing  out  the  straight  unadulterated  spirits?" 
suggested  Robert. 

"Ah,  ha,  my  inquisitive  young  friend,"  retorted 
Oscar,  with  a  slight  twitch  of  his  shoulder;  "it 
was  all  a  mistake  in  the  date  of  the  old  almanac." 

The  rumbling  of  heavy  wheels,  the  tread  of 
horses'  hoofs,  and  a  moment  later  there  alighted 
from  the  old  stage-coach  a  contingent  of  profes- 
sionals who  pressed  their  way  into  the  inn,  and 
whom  Robert  recognized  as  members  of  the  class 
described  in  Oscar's  story.  So  he  left  them  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  their  host. 

A  few  hours  later,  Robert,  in  company  with  one 
of  the  other  professors  who  had  come  to  see  the 
Fair,  was  strolling  here  and  there  amid  the  hurly- 
burly  of  excitement  which  everywhere  held  sway. 
In  fact,  it  was  his  first  object  lesson  in  industrial 
economy,  and  presented  to  his  young  mind  a  new 
condition  in  rural  life.  And  yet,  while  the  ex- 
ternal conditions  surrounding  the  population  of 
Emden  were  vastly  different  from  those  under 
which  he  had  been  trained,  his  education  had  been 
such  as  to  adapt  him  to  different  phases  of  life. 
Physically,  he  possessed  no  outward  indications  of 
muscular  strength  ;  but  his  gymnastic  training  had 
fitted  him  for  any  emergency  that  might  arise, 
either  within  or  without  the  school-room.  And 

2,2 


338  Nicholas  Comenius. 

while  Robert  was  at  all  times  diffident  and  reserved 
in  his  demeanor,  his  high  moral  courage  never 
failed  him,  even  under  the  most  trying  circum- 
stances. 

While  engaged  in  pursuing  the  natural  bent  of 
his  mind,  Robert  was  besieged  on  all  sides  by  a 
gaping  crowd  of  rustics,  who,  having  discovered 
his  identity,  kept  pressing  around  him.  In  the 
distance  he  distinctly  saw  the  tall,  slender  form  of 
Jeremiah  Todd,  a  former  master,  surrounded  by  a 
score  or  more  of  the  populace,  and  beyond  was  the 
aged  Parson.  As  the  crowd  came  rushing  toward 
him  a  shout  rent  the  air,  and  for  the  first  time  he 
realized  the  peril  in  which  he  had  placed  himself. 

It  was  fighting  and  racing  week  for  the  young 
bloods,  who  had  been  practising  at  barn-raisings, 
corn-huskings  and  the  like  ;  and  as  they  were  in 
for  a  tilt,  a  stranger  always  suited  their  purpose 
better  than  one  of  their  own  set.  Of  course  there 
wasn't  much  danger  of  the  young  professor  being 
double-teamed,  for  it  was  fair  play  and  honest  deal- 
ing with  a  stranger  in  a  scrimmage,  as  it  was  in  a 
trade  or  in  bidding  at  a  sale.  If  two  bidders 
claimed  the  same  horse  and  a  dispute  arose,  a 
knock-down  argument  settled  the  ownership,  while 
the  other  boys  formed  a  ring  and  kept  hands  off. 
It  was  the  worst  of  times  for  a  teacher  to  be  walk- 
ing around  "  on  his  dignity, n  as  most  of  the  young 
chaps  had  been  schooling  under  masters  who  were 
growing  too  old  to  keep  up  their  end  of  the  line  ; 


Robert  is  Challenged.  339 

and  it  only  needed  a  word  from  any  one  of  the  old 
men  to  start  the  ball  rolling,  and  that  word  was 
soon  supplied,  for  it  was  noised  around  the  public 
square  that  the  young  professor  had  said  he  "could 
lay  out  any  lad  in  the  town  of  Emden."  There 
wasn't  a  word  of  truth  in  the  report,  of  course;  but 
it  wasn't  the  truth  they  were  seeking,  so  much  as 
a  chance  to  punish  the  new-comer  for  robbing  old 
Jimmy  of  his  calling. 

"  We'll  send  him  a  challenge  in  writing,"  said 
Paul  Sanders,  a  six-footer,  to  a  dozen  others  who 
had  gathered  around,  "and  we'll  find  out  what 
kind  of  metal  he's  made  of." 

"And  I'll  second  the  motion,"  said  young  Jere 
Todd. 

"I'll  write  the  challenge  and  deliver  it  to  the 
young  stranger,"  spoke  forth  Pat  McGinnis,  who 
was  known  throughout  Emden  district  as  Reckless 
Pat. 

Seeing  this  unruly  mob  pressing  towards  him, 
Robert's  first  impulse  was  to  make  an  effort  to 
reach  the  old  inn,  and  thus  extricate  himself  as 
best  he  could  from  his  unpleasant  surroundings; 
but  as  the  words  "Fear  not,  your  cause  is  a  just 
one,"  flashed  through  his  mind,  he  turned,  faced 
his  pursuers,  and  with  a  look  of  determination  in 
his  eye,  said:  "Gentlemen,  what  does  all  this 
mean?" 

"Read  this,"  said  Pat,  as  he  thrust  a  small  slip 
of  paper  into  his  hand. 


Nicholas  Comeniut. 

"I  see,  gentlemen, "  said  Robert,  in  his  calm, 
dignified  manner:  "It  is  a  challenge  to  Robert 
Rayland,  the  new  teacher,  to  disgrace  the  position 
he  holds  by  entering  into  a  personal  contest  with 
the  young  men  of  the  village  without  provocation. " 

u  Yes,  but  it's  one  at  a  time  and  fair  play,"  said 
Pat,  who  stood  facing  the  professor. 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  retorted  Robert,  UI  hope 
you'll  excuse  me,  for  I've  never  had  a  personal 
controversy  with  any  one  in  my  life;  and  until  now, 
have  never  received  a  challenge  of  any  Hind." 

"  Come  now,  young  man,  no  apologizing  !  Form 
a  ring,  boys,  and  we'll  see  what  kind  of  metal  the 
young  schoolmaster's  made  of,"  said  Paul  Sanders. 

uOne  moment,  gentlemen,"  said  Robert,  as  the 
crowd  began  to  hustle  him  toward  the  centre  of  the 
ring;  u  who  are  the  ringleaders  in  this  disgraceful 
proceeding?" 

A  moment  later  there  stood  facing  him  Paul 
Sanders,  the  champion  of  Shaky  Hollow ;  Jere 
Todd,  a  wayward  son  of  Jeremiah  the  master,  and 
Reckless  Pat,  as  he  was  known  and  feared  at  every 
backwoods  gathering — a  trio  of  young  pugilists, 
whose  frequent  encounters  had  made  their  names 
famous  among  the  denizens  of  Shaky  Hollow. 

"Now,  gentlemen,  I  regret  exceedingly  to  be 
placed  in  this  most  disgraceful  attitude;  but  as  I 
have  never  shirked  a  duty,  I  shall  not  hesitate  to 
defend  my  fair  name  and  manhood.  All  I  ask  is 
fair  play  and  one  at  a  time." 


Robert  Defends  Himself. 


341 


As  Robert  stepped  forward  as  fearless  as  though 
he  were  entering  the  old  school-house,  a  shout  rent 
the  air,  and  by  his  side  stood  the  rugged  form  of 
old  Patrick  McDeever,  the  discarded  master  of 
Shaky  Hollow  school,  with  the  exclamation: 


ROBERT  DEFENDS  HIMSELF. 


"  And  by  my  faith,  young  mon,  and  it's  fair  play 
ye  shall  have,  or  Patrick  McDeever's  body  will  be 
lying  cold  on  the  ground  before  ye.M 

A  moment  later  there  came  rushing  from  the 


342  Nicholas  Conienius. 

direction  of  the  old  hostelry  a  contingent  of  regu- 
lars, headed  by  old  Oscar,  whose  purpose  was  to 
rescue  Robert  by  main  force  and  convey  him  out 
of  harm's  way. 

"  No,,  gentlemen,"  said  Robert,  as  he  motioned 
his  rescuers  aside  (having  divested  himself  of  coat 
and  hat):  u  We'll  start  with  the  ringleader." 

The  next  instant  Paul  Sanders  sprang  before 
him,  stripped  to  the  waist,  and  with  a  plunge 
rushed  at  the  young  teacher  with  a  well-directed 
blow,  the  effect  of  which  the  young  man  warded 
off  with  his  left  arm;  and  with  a  counter-stroke  of 
his  right  fist  on  the  side  of  Paul's  neck,  sent  him 
sprawling  headlong  among  the  bystanders. 

Before  he  could  regain  his  feet,  the  young 
teacher  called  in  a  pleasant  voice,  u  Next !"  And 
as  Reckless  Pat  made  a  bound  forward,  the  young 
teacher  kept  warding  off  the  blows  one  after  the 
other  in  a  playful  way,  without  attempting  to  de- 
liver a  blow  in  return.  This  manoeuvering  on  the 
part  of  the  young  man  seemed  to  exasperate  the 
Irish  lad;  and  as  he  made  a  desperate  effort  to 
clinch  in  on  the  young  teacher,  he  was  met  by 
three  terrific  blows,  following  each  other  in  quick 
succession,  which  landed  him  squarely  on  the 
broad  of  his  back,  where  he  lay  until  the  young 
men  stepped  over  and  raised  him  to  his  feet. 

Turning  and  surveying,  the  crowd,  Robert  called 
out;  "  Come  gentlemen,  it's  getting  late;  who's 
next?" 


Robert  Victorious.  343 

With  these  words  a  shout  rent  the  air,  and  Paul 
Sanders>  limping  forward,  held  out  his  hand  and 
said:  u Young  man,  I  want  to  ask  your  pardon, 
and  I  want  to  make  a  confession.  I  see  there  is  no 
use  in  we  un's  standing  up  fighting  against 
science.  You  don't  seem  to  be  more  than  half  our 
weight,  but  you're  a  fighter  on  scientific  principles, 
and  there's  no  use  in  comparing  muscle  to  science." 

Then  Robert,  shaking  the  would-be  champion 
by  the  hand,  said:  "Are  you  all  satisfied,  gentle- 
men ;  if  so,  we'll  continue  our  sight-seeing  with- 
out further  delay." 

It  took  but  a  little  while  for  the  news  to  spread 
to  every  part  of  the  Fair  grounds;  and  as  the 
crowd  began  congratulating  the  young  master  he 
simply  turned  and  said:  "  There's  no  occasion  for 
congratulations,  gentlemen.  What  I've  done  was 
simply  the  demand  of  stern  duty,  and  reflects  little 
honor  upon  my  character  or  standing."  And  off 
he  marched,  as  unconcernedly  as  if  nothing  un- 
usual had  occurred. 

When  the  news  reached  the  Parson,  he  shook 
his  head  and  murmured  to  himself:  u  Yes,  yes, 
this  young  man  must  be  gotten  rid  of  at  the  trial 
this  very  night,  or  Orlando  Hoskins  is  a  ruined 
minister  of  the  gospel." 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE    TEACHER    ON    TRIAL — MOTHER    BENTON    IN- 
TERPOSES—INSUBORDINATION  IN  THE  CITY — 
CHANGE  OF  QUARTERS — VILLAGE  GOSSIP. 

As  the  warm  October  sun  disappeared  behind 
the  distant  hills  and  the  shades  of  twilight  began 
to  cast  their  shadows  over  Emden,  here  and  there 
might  have  been  noticed  a  horseman  moving  in 
the  direction  of  Squire  Ben  ton's  law  office;  and 
when  the  hour  of  seven  arrived  there  sat  in  the 
large  square  room,  with  its  low  ceiling  and  three 
dismal  windows,  the  six  trustees,  with  the  high- 
topped  beavers  they  always  wore  on  important 
occasions,  the  Squire  and  Robert  Rayland;  while 
around  the  outside,  crowding  the  windows,  half 
the  villagers  of  Emden  had  gathered.  After  the 
Squire  had  succeeded  in  arranging  side  by  side  a 
number  of  legal  authorities  consisting  of  some  half 
dozen  shelf-worn  law  books,  their  appearance  indi- 
cating that  they  had  done  service  in  Revolutionary 
times,  he  read  the  charges  and  produced  the  con- 
tract, signed  by  Robert  Rayland  some  four  months 
before. 

Dressed  in  his  stylish  outfit  and  drawing  his  red 
344  — 


The  Teacher  on  Trial.  345 

bandanna  from  his  hat,  he  began  by  saying:  "  Mr. 
President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  School  Board  of 
Emden  district,  for  nigh  unto  forty  years  I  have 
practiced  law  in  this  village,  and  in  all  my  experi- 
ence I  have  never  had  a  case  appealed  to  Court,  for 
when  I  give  my  opinion  that  settles  it;  but  gentle- 
men of  the  Board,  here  is  a  young  man  charged 
with  trying  to  break  down  the  school  system,  by 
sowing  seeds  of  a  new  doctrine.  He  isn't  follow- 
ing in  the  steps  of  Jimmy  McCune,  as  he  promised 
to  do.  Now  I  have  looked  up  the  law  and  medi- 
tated over  it,  and  the  verdict  of  the  court  is  that 
insubordination  means,  according  to  Blackstone, 
disobedience  to  lawful  authority.  The  school  has 
been  closed,  and  it  is  for  you,  the  trustees,  to  say 
whether  Robert  Rayland  is  to  continue  the  teach- 
ing of  all  kinds  of  new-fangled  ideas,  or  to  pack  up 
his  trunk  and  get  out  of  town  on  the  first  stage. 
Gentlemen  of  the  Board,  you  have  been  witnesses 
over  in  the  old  school,  and  as  seeing  is  believing, 
it  is  for  you  to  accept  the  law;  and  I  now  pro- 
nounce Robert  Rayland  guilty  in  manner  and  form 
as  he  stands  indicted.  Shall  the  young  professor 
be  dismissed,  and  the  ever-faithful  Jimmy  McCune 
be  elected  to  fill  his  place  ?" 

A  vote  was  taken,  and  as  the  Squire  was  about 
to  declare  Jimmy  victorious,  a  woman  of  perhaps 
fifty  years,  neatly  attired,  stepped  from  aside  door, 
and  handing  a  heavily-sealed  envelope,  bearing  the 
coat  of  arms  of  the  State,  to  the  Squire,  said  in  a 


w 
p 


v!1 

^^^J^L  i  r 

The  Verdict  Set  Aside.  347 

clear  voice:  "I  demand  that  you  withhold  action 
until  the  contents  of  this  letter  shall  have  been 
read." 

Then  the  Squire,  adjusting  his  glasses,  read  as 
follows: 

"  STATE  OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  SS: 

"  Having  learned  that  Robert  Rayland  and  seven  other  teach- 
ers, holding  valid  certificates,  issued  in  accordance  with  the 
school  laws  of  the  State  by  the  regularly  appointed  County 
Superintendent,  and  regularly  assigned  to  the  schools  of 
Emden  district,  are  about  to  be  dismissed  for  the  conscientious 
performance  of  their  duties,  I  hereby  direct  you,  Thomas  Ben- 
ton,  Esquire,  to  withdraw  all  legal  proceedings,  of  whatever 
nature,  and  require  the  Board  of  Directors  to  abstain  from  all 
interference  with  their  rights  and  duties  within  the  school- 
room proper.  Should  the  Directors  persist  in  ignoring  the 
contents  of  this,  my  official  letter,  the  entire  Board  (along  with 
yourself)  will  be  summoned  to  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions 
to  answer  the  charge  of  obstructing  and  violating  the  school 
laws  of  the  Commonwealth. 

(Signed)  ' ' , 

"  Secretary  of  State. ' ' 

If  a  thunderbolt  from  a  clear  sky  had  fallen  in 
the  office  of  Squire  Benton,  the  consternation 
could  not  have  been  more  complete.  Big  drops  of 
perspiration  trickled  down  his  face,  and  the  trus- 
tees sat  in  astounded  silence.  Before  they  could 
recover  their  equilibrium,  the  Squire's  better  half 
— for  such  in  reality  she  was — stepped  forward  and 
said: 

"Now,  gentlemen,  I  hold  myself  entirely  re- 
sponsible for  the  message  that  has  just  been  read. 


348  Nicholas  Comenius. 

I  never  met  Robert  Rayland  face  to  face  until  he 
appeared  in  this  room,  but  I  had  seen  him  pass  and 
repass,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  that  justice  should 
be  done  him  in  Squire  Benton's  office.  It  was  I 
who  dispatched  a  messenger  to  the  capital,  stating 
the  facts  to  the  head  official  of  the  schools  of  the 
State,  and  you  have  the  result  before  you.  If  you 
disobey  the  contents  of  that  letter,  you  do  so  at 
your  peril.  Although  not  kin  to  you  by  birth,  yet 
for  more  than  thirty  years  I  have  lived  among  the 
people  of  Emden  and  its  surroundings;  and  through 
this  young  man  the  first  ray  of  hope  of  a  brighter 
educational  future  has  dawned  upon  our  village. 
For  years  Jimmy  McCune  and  the  other  masters 
have  plodded  along,  like  the  wheel  over  at  the  old 
mill,  sifting  the  bran  from  the  meal  in  the  old- 
fashioned  way;  just  as  for  more  than  twenty  years 
the  Squire  here  has  been  dressing  up  in  his  velvet 
suit,  that  was  doing  service  in  George  Washing- 
ton's time.  Is  it  not  time  to  be  throwing  off  the 
old  and  putting  on  the  new?  Remember  that  God 
said  'Let  there  be  light,'  and  there  was  light ;  and 
so  I  say  to  you,  the  trustees  of  Emden  district,  re- 
instate Robert  Rayland  in  the  little  stone  house 
and  you'll  live  to  see  the  day  when  the  light  of  the 
new  system  will  dispel  the  clouds  of  superstition 
which  now  darken  your  firesides,  and  when  your 
boys  and  girls  shall  rise  up  and  call  you  blessed. " 
While  these  words,  falling  on  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  that  assembly  like  the  gentle  rain  of 


Opposition  to  Improvements.  349 

heaven,  were  only  met  with  looks  of  silent  con- 
tempt, coming  as  they  did  from  a  woman,  who  had 
no  voice  in  the  management  of  the  schools,  and 
while  they  were  mostly  like  seeds  sown  upon  stony 
ground,  yet  a  grain  unseen  may  have  taken  root 
here  and  there.  After  a  moment's  hurried  consul- 
tation, in  which  the  Squire  advised  strict  obedience 
to  constitutional  authority,  it  was  unanimously 
though  reluctantly  decided  that  Robert  Rayland 
and  the  other  teachers  should  re-enter  upon  the 
discharge  of  their  duties  the  following  morning, 
without  any  further  interference. 

This  determination  on  the  part  of  the  authorities 
of  Emden  district  was  far  from  being  the  result  of 
conviction.  If  anything,  the  feeling  of  opposition 
became  more  intensified.  It  would  have  been  as 
easy  to  put  new  wine  into  old  bottles  as  to  place 
new  heads  on  these  old  shoulders ;  and  as  long  as 
the  old  heads  remained,  little  fermentation  in  the 
direction  of  progress  could  be  expected. 

Owing  to  the  rapid  transition  from  old  condi- 
tions and  methods  to  the  modern,  few  teachers  of 
the  present  day  can  fully  understand  why  a  teacher 
of  fifty  years  ago  should  have  been  arraigned  be- 
fore a  school  board  and  censured  for  the  intro- 
duction of  so  simple  a  piece  of  school -room 
apparatus  as  a  school  chart.  But  in  fact  the  chart, 
the  blackboard,  outline  maps  and  globe,  met  with 
the  same  determined  opposition  that  has  at  all 
times  marked  the  progress  of  all  other  mechanical 


356  Nicholas  Comemus. 

inventions.  uWe  did  not  have  such  apparatus/1 
said  an  old  teacher;  uand  if  we  had  it  would  have 
been  of  no  value,  as  we  would  not  have  known 
how  to  use  it."  Indeed,  the  weary  task  of  the 
individual  pupil  was  a  daily  struggle  for  weeks 
and  even  months  through  the  twenty-six  arbitrary 
characters  of  the  alphabet,  with  scarcely  an  effort 
on  the  part  of  the  master  to  use  them  in  their 
proper  relation  to  words  and  sentences,  until  the 
letters  in  their  regular  order  had  been  indelibly  im- 
pressed upon  the  memory.  From  this  primitive  and 
arbitrary  method  there  seemed  to  be  no  appeal  on 
the  part  of  the  learner.  Committing  the  alphabet 
to  memory  was  one  of  the  first  requisites  of  the  old 
master,  and  then  with  rapid  strides  he  never  rested 
until  the  unfortunate  pupil  was  pushed  into  the 
New  Testament,  where  he  was  allowed  to  flounder 
along  among  the  difficult  Biblical  terms  for  the 
remainder  of  his  school  days,  often  in  dense  ignor- 
ance of  their  true  meaning. 

Robert  Ray  land's  trial  and  ultimate  acquittal 
of  what  was  termed  u  pernicious  teaching, "  not 
only  attracted  the  attention  of  leading  educators 
and  the  outside  public,  but  at  the  same  time  gave 
him  a  standing  in  the  educational  field  which  he 
could  in  no  other  way  have  attained  in  so  short  a 
time.  So  forcibly  impressed  were  the  members 
of  the  Board  of  perhaps  the  largest  inland  city  in 
the  Union  at  that  early  day,  with  the  wonderful 
results  attained  by  Robert  Rayland  in  the  little 


An  Inquiry  from  the  City.  351 

stone  house,  that  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
confer  with  him,  and  report  on  the  expediency  of 
introducing  his  scheme  into  the  primary  grades  of 
that  city.  An  extract  from  the  report  of  the 
committee  which  here  follows  is  remarkable,  inas- 
much as  it  conclusively  proves  that  while  the  old 
masters  may  have  been  learned  in  the  higher 
branches  and  conscientious  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties  as  they  understood  them,  they  were  in 
many  instances  wofully  lacking  in  the  methods 
upon  which  the  early  training  of  the  young  so 
much  depended.  The  report  of  the  committee 
reads  verbatim  as  follows: 

"  Having  witnessed  the  practical  operation  of 
this  scheme,  we  believe  it  important  to  introduce 
it  into  those  departments  of  the  school  concerned 
in  the  instruction  of  the  youngest  and  least  ad- 
vanced scholars.  Cards  are  suspended,  upon  which 
the  alphabet  or  syllables  of  two  or  more  letters  are 
printed  in  large  type,  so  that  the  attention  of  the 
whole  class  may  be  easily  directed  to  every  part  of 
the  card.  There  is  a  two-fold  advantage  in  this 
method.  The  principal  is  greatly  relieved,  so 
much  so  that  one  of  the  teachers  who  has  never 
taught  before  is  able  with  great  ease  to  instruct  in 
the  alphabet  and  in  the  spelling  of  words  of  one  or 
two  syllables,  more  than  eighty  young  pupils, 
divided  into  four  or  five  classes.  The  classes  are 
severally  called  up,  and  the  teacher  pointing  with 
a  rod  to  the  card,  the  scholars  all  pronounce  the 


35  2  Nicholas  Comenius. 

letter  or  spell  the  syllable  or  word.  The  alphabet 
is  commenced  at  the  beginning,  and  the  rod  passes 
from  letter  to  letter  to  the  last;  then  the  course  is 
reversed,  after  which  the  teacher  points  to  the 
letters  promiscuously,  and  the  whole  class  pro- 
nounces them.  Lastly  the  rod  is  placed  in  the 
hands  of  some  one  or  other  of  the  class,  who  is 
required  to  point  out  such  letters  as  the  teacher 
may  name.  Mr.  Rayland  declares  that  he  can 
teach  a  dozen  or  twenty  at  once  by  this  method 
sooner  and  better  than  by  the  ordinary  plan,  and 
prefers  a  number  of  pupils  to  a  single  one." 

For  a  time,  but  from  an  entirely  different  cause, 
the  same  opposition  which  had  confronted  Robert 
Rayland  in  the  village  school  of  Emden  appeared 
in  a  more  intensified  form  in  the  schools  of  the 
city  in  question.  Among  its  excellent  corps  of 
teachers  were  a  number  of  old  masters;  prominent 
among  them  stood  Thomas  Yarrell,  as  typical  a 
specimen  of  "  ye  olden  time  "  master  as  it  was  pos- 
sible for  the  old  system  to  produce.  Now  Thomas 
was  more  noted  for  his  obstinancy  and  his  ability 
to  swing  the  ferule  than  for  his  learning  and 
power  to  develop  the  mental  faculties  of  his  pupils. 
.While  he  had  taught  continuously  for  nearly  two 
generations,  he  never  succeeded  in  getting  beyond 
the  work  of  the  primary  grade,  although  many  of 
his  pupils  had  attained  an  age  which  at  the  present 
day  would  have  brought  them  up  to  the  graduating 
class  of  the  high  school.  However,  Thomas 


Insubordination  in  the  City.  353 

reasoned  on  the  principle  that  as  there  was  no  pos- 
sible opening  for  a  boy  in  those  days  until  he  had 
reached  his  majority,  running  up  and  down  the 
alphabet  in  the  primary  school  at  least  kept  him 
out  of  mischief,  if  nothing  more.  It  was  Thomas 
YarrelPs  mission  in  life  to  teach  the  alphabet  in 
the  old  way;  and  if  by  the  end  of  the  term  he  had 
succeeded  in  planting  the  letters  from  A  to  Z  in  a 
boy's  memory,  in  regular  order,  he  always  rested 
easy  in  the  consciousness  that  he  had  performed 
his  duty  to  the  school  authorities. 

Consequently,  when  "sets  of  charts,  cards  and 
syllables,  and  words  of  spelling,"  were  ordered 
"for  all  the  primary  grades,"  and  when  Thomas 
was  directed  to  reform  his  methods  in  accordance 
with  these  modern  appliances,  the  seat  of  war  was 
temporarily  transferred  from  the  district  of  Emden 
to  the  city.  As  the  professional  dignity  of  Thomas 
was  in  a  measure  compromised,  he  rebelled,  and 
politely  refused  to  obey  the  instructions  of  the 
Board,  or  to  depart  one  iota  from  the  old  estab- 
lished method.  He  was  in  consequence  summoned 
to  appear  before  the  school  authorities  to  answer 
the  charge  of  insubordination.  This  he  considered 
an  insult  to  his  standing  as  a  teacher,  and  as  a 
consequence  handed  in  his  resignation  and  aban- 
doned the  profession  forever. 

Here,  within  a  brief  period,  were  two  charges 
of  insubordination  ;  one  by  the  trustees  of  Emden 
district  against  Robert  Rayland  for  the  introduc- 
23 


354  Nicholas  Comenius. 

tion  of  a  chart  inimical  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
schools  of  a  backwoods  district ;  the  other  by  a 
progressive  city  Board  against  Thomas  Yarrell,  for 
neglecting  and  refusing  to  adapt  his  teaching  to 
this  same  school-room  appliance.  But  while  it  is 
evident  to  the  mind  of  every  modern  educator,  that 
Robert  Rayland  at  that  early  period  was  imbued 
with  the  progressive  spirit  far  in  advance  of  the 
age  in  which  he  labored,  and  that  Thomas  Yarrell 
was  among  the  very  last  apologists  for  a  system 
destined  to  pass  into  oblivion,  it  is  also  evident,  in 
the  light  of  recent  events,  that  the  vast  multiplicity 
of  charts  of  every  variety  and  style  has  in  many 
directions  overstepped  the  line  of  usefulness.  What 
were  in  the  early  days  of  the  system  considered 
essentially  necessary  as  aids  to  the  young  and  in- 
experienced educator,  have  in  recent  years  been 
thrust  by  wholesale  upon  School  Boards  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

For  a  time  things  moved  along  in  the  even  tenor 
of  their  way  with  Robert  Rayland,  except  in  his 
relations  with  the  grasping  innkeeper.  He  soon 
discovered,  however,  that  in  Robert  he  had  a 
boarder  of  more  than  the  average  tact  and  ability, 
who  showed  no  disposition  whatever  to  affiliate 
with  the  regulars.  At  the  close  of  the  first  month 
Robert  concluded  that  some  definite  arrangement 
should  be  determined  on  with  the  innkeeper,  so, 
approaching  him  at  the  bar,  he  said  :  "I  have  been 
boarding  with  you  one  month,  Mr.  Bently,  and  if 


Change  of  Residence.  355 

you  will  tell  me  how  much  I  am  indebted  to  you  I 
will  settle  my  account." 

u  Well  now,  young  man,"  replied  the  innkeeper, 
uyou  remember  what  I  said  when  I  gave  you  the 
best  room  in  the  house — that  with  the  high  price 
of  pork  and  other  provisions,  the  price  of  board 
would  depend;  that  is,  if  the  spirits  go  down 
freely  then  the  price  of  board  goes  down  accord- 
ingly, but  if  there  is  no  downward  movement  in 
the  straight  unadulterated  stuff,  then  the  price 
goes  up — understand,  eh?  How  much  do  you  get 
a  month  for  keeping  school  three  or  four  hours  a 
day?  Yes,  I  understand.  Well,  we'll  split  your 
salary  in  two,  for  that's  what  the  landlord  always 
expects  from  the  regulars.  Fifty  per  cent,  dis- 
count makes  easy  figuring,  and  don't  require  any 
calculating  by  that  new  arithmetic  book,  which 
has  been  the  cause  of  more  disturbance  around 
this  neck  o'  woods  than  was  ever  seen  since  the 
day  old  Orlando  Hoskins  started  out  on  his  white 
horse  to  direct  the  final  ending  of  the  world." 

Within  a  week  from  the  night  that  Robert  Ray- 
land  settled  that  bill  with  the  innkeeper,  it  was 
well  known  that  he  was  quietly  dreaming  the 
dreams  of  the  pure  in  heart  on  a  downy  bed  in  the 
best  room  in  the  house  across  the  way,  at  the 
pleasant  home  of  Mrs.  Ben  ton.  In  fact,  he  had 
hardly  succeeded  in  arranging  his  scanty  ward- 
robe before  the  news  had  reached  every  nook  and 
corner  of  the  old  town.  Every  mother  with  eligible 


356  Nicholas  Comenius. 

daughters  was  on  the  tip-toe  of  excitement  in  her 
anxiety  to  carry  the  news  to  her  next  neighbor. 
Of  course,  "it  was  all  a  deep-laid  plot  on  the  part 
of  the  Squire's  wife  to  entrap  the  young  teacher 
into  marrying  Hannah ;"  and  the  gossips  not  only 
could  no  longer  see  anything  to  admire  in  his  per- 
sonal appearance,  but  began  to  shower  gratuitous 
pity  on  the  young  man. 

"HI  tell  you,"  said  Mrs.  Orlando  Hoskins,  the 
minister's  wife,  in  conversation  with  a  half  dozen 
members  of  her  own  church  circle:  "There's  no 
use  disguising  the  plain  truth — I'm  disappointed. 
If  Orlando's  five  children  had  been  boys,  they'd 
have  been  following  along  in  the  old  gentleman's 
footsteps,  preaching  the  gospel;  but  as  they  happen 
to  be  girls,  the  responsibility  of  marrying  them  off 
rests  where  troubles  have  always  rested  since  the 
beginning  of  the  world,  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
women-folks.  Perhaps  I've  been  keeping  Malinda 
a  little  too  strict,  since  the  young  teacher  got  to 
boarding  over  at  the  old  inn.  In  my  eyes,  a 
tavern's  no  place  for  a  young  man  who's  had  good 
religious  training  to  hang  around.  Now,  while 
the  girls  and  I  were  arguing  and  trying  to  persuade 
Orlando  to  forgive  the  new  teacher  for  meddling 
with  the  Scriptures  over  in  the  school,  and  while 
we  were  all  planning  how  to  get  him  into  a  respect- 
able minister's  family,  where  he  could  have  mar- 
ried my  eldest  daughter,  Malinda,  and  assisted  the 
parson  in  his  parish  duties,  the  Squire's  wife  got 


Mrs.  Hoskins    Opinion.  357 

to  coaxing  the  young  professor  to  leave  the  land- 
lord and  go  a-boarding  with  her.  It  may  be  all 
right  for  one  of  her  kind,  that's  never  been  con- 
verted and  that's  got  no  fellow-feeling  for  even  the 
landlord's  wife,  who  has  been  struggling  along 
trying  to  make  both  ends  meet  by  boarding  the 
new  teacher.  I'll  venture  my  standing  in  the  old 
parish  that  Hannah  will  never  marry  Robert  Ray- 
land  without  the  Squire's  consent,  and  he'll  never 
give  in  to  his  daughter's  marrying  a  down-east 
New  England  Yankee  school  teacher,  with  no 
other  recommendation  than  a  certificate  from  the 
new  Superintendent.  No,  Mrs.  Orlando  Hoskins 
hasn't  been  a  pastor's  wife  these  many  years,  and 
she  hasn't  been  a-working  among  the  congregation 
and  giving  good  advice  to  all  the  young  people  in 
the  chapel,  to  be  deceived  by  a  young  foreigner 
who's  got  no  social  standing  in  this  community." 
The  next  moment  the  door  opened,  and  Malinda, 
pale  and  nervous,  stood  amid  the  group  of  sympa- 
thizing friends  who  had  gathered  at  the  parsonage 
of  Mrs.  Hoskins  to  offer  words  of  sympathy  to  the 
pastor's  wife  in  regard  to  the  action  of  the  mis- 
guided young  teacher.  Before  the  seemingly 
broken-hearted  girl  could  give  expression  to  her 
thoughts,  her  very  countenance  told  the  story  of 
her  chagrin  and  disappointment.  From  the  moment 
her  eyes  had  fallen  upon  the  manly  form  of  Robert 
Rayland,  when  he  entered  the  village  of  Emden 
for  the  first  time,  there  was  a  preconcerted  move- 


358  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ment  on  the  part  of  the  whole  Hoskins  family, 
ultimately  to  capture  the  young  and  handsome 
professor.  Robert  was  not  unconscious  of  these 
manifestations  on  the  part  of  Malinda,  for  every 
time  he  passed  or  repassed  the  Parson's  residence, 
Malinda  was  either  to  be  seen  peeping  through  the 
window  or  gazing  from  some  half-hidden  nook. 

But  Robert,  unlike  most  young  men  in  their 
first  sojourn  in  a  distant  village,  pressed  forward 
and  onward  in  the  line  of  his  professional  duties, 
turning  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left.  If 
occasionally  he  happened  to  meet  old  Jimmy  or 
any  of  the  other  old  masters,  he  never  passed  them 
by  without  a  kindly  greeting.  He  would  often  sit 
for  hours  under  the  old  oak  with  his  predecessor 
Jimmy,  whose  health  seemed  to  be  fast  failing, 
listening  to  his  many  anecdotes  of  strange  experi- 
ences, and  in  return  would  portray  to  him,  in 
glowing  colors,  the  strides  made  in  educational 
development  in  his  Bay  State  home,  and  at  the 
same  time  endeavor  to  picture  to  him  the  educa- 
tional blessings  in  store  for  the  people  of  Einden, 
which  in  God's  own  time  were  sure  to  come. 

While  neither  the  trustees  nor  the  Squire  again 
visited  Robert  in  the  little  school-house  during  the 
term,  he  would  sit  for  hours  in  the  back  office, 
making  deep  impressions  where  the  Squire's  wife 
had  failed,  and  slowly  but  surely  weaving  a  net- 
work of  influences  around  the  old  man,  which 
were  destined  to  bear  fruit  as  time  moved  on. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

NATURE    STUDY — NICHOLAS    APPOINTED    SUPERIN- 
TENDENT— DEATH  OF   HIS   PREDECESSOR. 

As  the  long  months  of  winter  passed  slowly  by, 
the  school  at  Emden  grew  in  size  and  strengthened 
with  each  recurring  day.  While  the  clouds  at 
times  hung  heavy  without,  the  genial  sunshine  re- 
flected from  the  many  young  and  loving  hearts, 
and  mellowed  by  the  tender  words  of  Robert, 
made  the  old  school  at  Emden  a  place  of  beauty 
and  a  joy  forever.  At  the  close  of  the  second 
month,  those  who  had  been  accustomed  to  view 
its  bleak  and  cheerless  walls  would  almost  have 
failed  to  recognize  the  complete  transformation 
that  had  taken  place  within.  A  fresh -coat  of 
white- wash,  a  picture  here  and  there,  a  new  broom 
brought  into  daily  use,  a  cedar  bucket  with  a 
bright  tin  dipper — all  these  gave  the  old  house  an 
appearance  that  blended  harmoniously  with  the 
clean  hands  and  faces,  and  the  neat  and  tidy  appear- 
ance of  the  little  workers  within.  And  the  faith- 
ful Hannah,  far  above  the  average  in  natural  en- 
dowments, never  missed  a  day.  What  books  of 
the  higher  order  the  Squire  refused  to  purchase, 

159 


360  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Robert  supplied  from  his  own  private  funds;  for 
he  was  not  slow  in  discovering  that  the  intellect 
and  character  of  the  mother  were  duplicated  in  the 
daughter,  now  only  a  modest,  unassuming  school- 
girl. 

And  so,  while  doubt  and  uncertainty  pervaded 
the  atmosphere  without,  there  was  one  consoling 
thought  that  nerved  the  young  teacher  to  even 
greater  efforts  in  the  school.  Were  not  the  boys 
and  girls  at  the  close  of  each  day's  session  eager  to 
join  him  in  his  periodical  strolls  to  the  neighboring 
hills  and  valleys  surrounding  beautiful  Emden, 
there  to  commune  with  nature  in  all  its  varied 
forms?  And  how  many  ever  returned  empty- 
handed,  or  without  a  store  of  useful  knowledge 
which  the  meadows  and  hills  were  ever  sure  to 
provide?  Not  a  plant  escaped  the  notice  of  the 
girls,  nor  a  rare  stone  or  mineral  the  attention  of 
the  boys.  Could  not  any  one  of  a  dozen  girls  give 
the  botanical  names  to  all  the  plants  that  grew  in 
the  meadow  down  by  the  ivy-covered  parsonage? 
And  the  boys — were  they  not  equally  prepared  to 
distinguish  the  various  rock  formations  and  the 
different  varieties  of  soil,  and  the  effect  produced 
by  proper  fertilizing? 

And  there  was  Jack  McCabe's  son  Richard,   a 
sprightly  lad  of  thirteen,    who  had  never  before' 
seen  a  history  in  his  life — nor  his  father  the  old 
repairman    either,    for   that   matter.     And   didn't 
Dick  keep  the  whole   family  sitting  around  the 


Fruit  of  Robert '  s  Teaching.  3  6 1 

table  after  the  evening  meal  while  he  kept  ex- 
plaining to  his  brothers  and  sisters  all  about  the 
battle  of  the  Brandywine,  which  had  taken  place 
so  many  years  before,  on  Pennsylvania  soil  ?  And 
wouldn't  he  lay  out  the  whole  plan  of  the  battle, 
using  the  cups  and  saucers  and  the  knives  and 
forks  to  illustrate  the  position  of  the  troops,  with 
the  Hessians  and  red-coats  on  the  one  side  and 
Washington  and  his  famishing  army  on  the  other, 
and  Valley  Forge  in  the  centre  ? 

Had  not  Sim,  the  old  charcoal-burner's  son,  a 
lad  of  ten,  made  the  startling  revelation  before 
he'd  finished  his  second  month,  of  the  number  and 
cost  per  thousand  of  every  shingle  on  the  old 
wagon-shed?  And  could  he  not  compute  at  the 
same  time  the  number  of  cord-feet  in  every  stick 
of  timber  that  grew  on  Farmer  Cooper's  strip  of 
woodland  ? 

Ah,  but  what  a  commotion  over  at  the  corner 
grocery,  when  the  miller's  son,  Ben,  got  to  figur- 
ing out  the  weight  and  cost  per  bushel  of  all  the 
gram  stored  in  the  granary  over  in  the  old  stone 
mill ! 

Wouldn't  it  make  all  the  older  heads  turn  to 
hear  young  Ike,  the  only  son  of  old  Oscar,  the 
proprietor  of  the  General  Washington,  skirmish 
around  among  the  Presidential  administrations, 
repeating  the  name  of  every  President  in  regular 
order  from  Washington  down  to  old  Zachary 
Taylor? 


362  Nicholas  Comenius. 

And  so  for  weeks  after  the  opening  of  the  village 
school  its  unrecognized  influence  was  imperceptibly 
permeating  every  rural  household.  Whence  came 
this  new  inspiration  among  the  boys  and  girls  of 
the  village  school? — this  sudden  quickening  of  the 
mind  to  enter  untrodden  paths,  in  search  of  hidden 
treasures,  never  before  dreamed  of  even  by  those 
of  maturer  years?  Was  it  but  the  reflex  of  the 
recent  public  examination,  the  first  ever  held  in 
the  village  of  Emden,  that  had  so  imperceptibly 
stirred  the  youthful  mind  from  the  sluggishness  of 
indifference  to  an  awakening  like  that  produced 
by  the  rays  of  the  morning  sun  ?  Or  was  it  the 
influence  of  the  young  teacher,  unconsciously 
operating  like  the  gentle  dew  from  heaven  upon 
young  and  old  alike? 

With  Robert  Rayland  the  absence  of  a  multipli- 
city of  text-books  was  a  blessing  in  disguise. 
Thoroughly  trained  in  the  art  of  imparting  know- 
ledge, and  with  a  mind  ever  ready  to  draw  upon 
nature's  vast  storehouse,  Robert  never  lost  courage 
or  faith  in  the  power  of  the  means  at  his  com- 
mand eventually  to  liberate  the  good  people  of 
Emden  district  from  the  thraldom  of  ignorance  and 
superstition. 

But  after  all,  was  there  anything  in  the  school  at 
Emden  of  such  vastly  superior  merit  and  import- 
ance that  its  counterpart  is  not  readily  to  be  found 
in  hundreds  of  district  schools  at  the  present  day? 
Does  not  every  locality  have  as  many  Robert  Ray- 


Honor  to  Whom  Honor  is  Due.         363 

lands  and  as  many  intelligent  girls  in  all  respects 
the  equals  of  Hannah,  yet  of  whom  mention  is 
seldom  if  ever  made?  Why  then  delineate  the 
character  and  personal  qualities  of  this  or  that  in- 
dividual, whose  counterpart  may  be  seen  in  every 
village  and  hamlet  in  the  land  ? 

Is  the  name  of  the  engineer,  we  ask,  who  pulled 
the  throttle  that  sent  the  first  locomotive  through 
the  land  at  the  rate  of  but  ten  miles  an  hour,  or 
that  of  the  electrician  who  touched  the  key  which 
sent  the  first  message  on  its  way  from  Baltimore  to 
Washington,  some  fifty  years  ago,  to  sink  into 
oblivion  because  modern  engineering  has  since  en- 
circled the  earth  with  the  steel  rail  and  the  electric 
cable?  Are  those  who  stood  as  beacon  lights  in 
our  educational  system's  darkest  night — who  stood 
face  to  face  against  public  opinion,  oppression  and 
ignorance,  when  to  battle  for  the  cause  of  popular 
education  was  considered  by  many  almost  a  crime 
— are  those  heroes  of  other  days  to  receive  no  recog- 
nition from  the  enlightened  public  of  the  latter  days 
of  this  nineteenth  century?  Does  the  cosy  little 
brick  school-house,  with  its  interior  adornments, 
decorations  and  hygienic  appliances,  bear  no  re- 
lation to  the  dilapidated  time-worn  structure  yet 
standing — so  near  and  yet  so  far?  Is  the  profes- 
sional teacher  of  the  present  generation  so  com- 
pletely absorbed  in  the  multiplicity  of  his  labors,  or 
in  the  importance  of  his  mission,  as  to  justify  him 
in  ignoring  or  looking  with  contempt  on 


364  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Rayland,  or  even  a  Jimmy  McCune  ?  If  such  there 
be  in  the  teacher's  profession,  let  them  in  their 
quiet  moments  revert  to  the  past,  there  to  gather 
new  inspiration  from  that  noble  army  of  martyrs 
who  built  upon  a  foundation  as  enduring  as  the 
human  race.  If  the  embodiment  of  their  ideal  lies 
far  above  and  beyond  the  types  herein  represented, 
let  them  dwell  for  a  time  amid  the  environments 
which  cluster  around  the  life  of  Dr.  Arnold  or  of 
Pestalozzi. 

As  the  busy  bee  goes  forth  in  the  early  morning, 
only  to  return  when  the  shades  of  twilight  appear, 
laden  with  the  very  essence  of  the  honeysuckle,  so 
should  the  young  teacher,  when  he  has  gleaned 
from  the  text-book  all  that  is  worth  gathering,  go 
forth  and  mingle  with  nature  and  the  great  masters 
who  have  given  to  the  world  all  that  is  worth 
knowing. 

At  last  spring-time,  the  most  delightful  season 
of  the  year,  and  especially  so  to  the  young  and  en- 
thusiastic teacher,  came  in  all  its  glory.  The  aged 
oak,  the  monarch  of  the  forest,  once  more  put  forth 
its  clustering-  foliage;  beside  the  old  familiar  path- 
way the  wild  briar  and  the  coarse  weeds  be- 
gan to  push  their  way  upward  in  search  of  light 
and  heat;  and  even  the  old  school-house  seemed  to 
have  thrown  off  its  robes  of  mourning  for  old 
Jimmy  and  assume  a  more  cheerful  aspect,  when 
an  event  occurred  of  vast  significance  to  the  educa- 
tional interests  of  Blackwell  county. 


The  Second  Examination.  365 

There  on  the  long  bench  were  seated  a  number 
of  strange-looking  faces — young  and  middle-aged, 
with  and  without  experience,  headed  by  Robert 
Rayland — for  the  appointed  day  for  the  second  ex- 
amination had  arrived.  The  old  slab  bench,  how- 
ever, upon  which  had  been  seated  the  eight  old 
masters  the  year  previous,  was  vacant.  Even  the 
Squire  and  the  aged  Parson  were  strangely  absent, 
as  well  as  the  six  trustees.  There  were  none  of 
Emden's  constituency  to  be  seen  loitering  around 
the  venerable  oak  without,  nor  within  the  old 
house,  on  that  memorable  occasion,  to  remind  one 
of  the  excitement  that  pervaded  the  very  atmos- 
phere of  the  year  previous. 

A  carriage  drove  up  to  the  door  of  the  old  house, 
and  the  young  Superintendent  alighted  and  entered 
the  school  for  the  second  time.  There  was  no 
elasticity  in  his  step;  his  every  movement  indi- 
cated the  severe  physical  and  mental  strain  under 
which  he  was  laboring. 

11  Calling  me  aside  at  the  close  of  the  examina- 
tion,n  said  Nicholas,  whose  own  words  we  give  now 
that  his  own  personality  enters  so  largely  into  the 
story  so  graphically  related,  uhe  turned  and  with 
the  deepest  feeling  of  emotion  said :  '  Nicholas 
Comenius,  allow  me,  in  the  name  of  the  Governor 
of  the  State,  to  present  you  with  this  certificate 
of  appointment  as  Superintendent  of  the  schools 
of  Blackwell  county  for  my  unexpired  term  of 
office.  The  responsible  duties,  the  tax  on  physical 


366  Nicholas  Comenius. 

endurance,  the  severe  mental  strain^  coupled  with 
declining  health,  have  forced  me  to  resign  a  posi- 
tion which  I  have  endeavored  to  fill  to  the  best  of 
my  ability  for  one  short  year.  May  you,  Nicholas,' 


NICHOLAS   COMMISSIONED  SUPERINTENDENT. 

continued  he,  4  under  the  guidance  of  an  over- 
ruling Providence,  so  direct  the  educational  move- 
ment that  the  various  discordant  elements  may  be 
brought  into  that  perfect  union  which  the  very 


Nicholas  Appointed  Superintendent,       367 

name  of  Comenius  should  aid  you  to  harmonize 
and  adjust.'  The  announcement  of  the  young 
Superintendent's  resignation,  with  that  of  my  ap- 
pointment, coining  so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly, 
produced  a  profound  impression  upon  the  members 
of  the  class, "  added  Nicholas,  with  his  eye  upon 
the  ruins  of  the  village  school,  as  his  voice  fell 
almost  to  a  whisper. 

uAs  the  young  Superintendent  passed  through 
the  doorway,  now  relieved  as  he  was  from  all  offi- 
cial responsibility,  his  step  seemed  to  quicken; 
but  I  noticed  deep  and  furrowed  lines  on  his 
manly  face.  He  uttered  not  a  word  until  he  stood 
beneath  the  shade  of  the  great  oak,  when  he  beck- 
oned me  to  his  side  and  said,  in  a  low  tone: 

U4I  want  to  talk  with  you,  my  friend!  Tell 
me  where  to  find  Jim  and  Tim,  and  the  other  old 
masters.  I  missed  them  in  the  class  to-day,  as  I 
have  missed  so  many  others  in  my  second  tour 
over  Blackwell  county.  Tell  me  where  they  are, 
and  why  they  have  not  been  here.  After  leaving 
the  examination  a  year  ago,  I  began  to  think  of 
the  old  men,  and  I  said  to  myself,  No,  it  wasn't 
right  to  treat  them  in  that  way;  if  I  live  till 
another  year  I'll  give  them  a  chance,  for  they're 
old  and  cannot  live  long  anyway.  These  thoughts 
have  followed  me,'  said  he,  with  quivering  lips, 
4  through  the  long  days,  on  many  a  lonely  pilgrim- 
age, when  bereft  of  that  good-will  and  support 
without  which  life  is  a  failure.  So  tell  me  where 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


to  find  the  old  school-masters,  and  why  they  are 
absent ?' 

u  'The  masters/  said  I,  4let  me  see.     Yes,  come 
with  me,  and  we'll  go  and  see  Jim  and  Tim.' 


RETURNED  FROM  THE  CHURCH- YARD. 

"So  arm  in  arm  we  walked  over  through  the 
gate  by  the  church,  and  thence  to  the  graves  of 
Jim  and  Tim.  As  we  stood  I  noticed  a  big  tear 
like  a  rain-drop  fall  on  the  grave  of  Jimmy.  Re- 
tracing our  steps  to  the  oak,  he  said : 


The  Treaty  Under  the  Oak.  369 

"  'Now  where  are  the  other  old  men,  and  espec- 
ially my  old  friend  Patrick,  so  full  of  genuine  Irish 
wit  and  humor?' 

"'So  I  gave  him  their  history  as  well  as  I  could 
recall — that  three  of  them  were  in  the  county 
work-house,  and  the  others  tramping  the  county 
round  among  old  friends,  kind  and  true.  But  I 
couldn't  help  saying  a  kind  word  for  my  old  friend 
Jimmy  McCune,  for  I  saw  it  struck  a  responsive 
chord  in  his  very  inmost  nature  :  and  so  of  Jimmy 
we  talked  as  we  sat  till  the  sun  disappeared  behind 
the  distant  hills.  I  told  him  all  about  Jimmy,  for 
I  loved  him;  he  was  so  generous  and  forgiving, 
without  an  enemy  in  the  world.  I  told  him  how 
he  had  met  the  boys  some  thirty  odd  years  before 
under  this  same  oak,  as  he  came  to  take  charge  of 
the  little  village  school;  how  we  had  all  gathered 
there  one  beautiful  October  morning,  wondering 
what  kind  of  a  master  we  should  all  have  to  meet, 
when  a  tall,  handsome  young  man  stepped  into  our 
midst,  and  said,  in  a  mild  tone,  'Good  morning, 
boys.'  Before  we  could  reply,  he  added  : 

"  *  Boys,  did  you  ever  hear  of  William  Penn, 
and  how  he  made  the  famous  treaty  with  the  wild 
men  of  the  forest  under  an  old  elm  tree — the  only 
treaty  never  sworn  to  and  never  broken?  And 
now,'  he  continued,  4  while  I  am  not  William  Penn, 
but  plain  Jimmy  McCune,  the  master  appointed  to 
teach  this  village  school,  I  want  to  form  a  treaty 
with  all  the  boys  and  girls  under  this  oak.' 
24 


37°  Nicholas  Comentuj* 

"So  beneath  its  sheltering  branches,  which 
weren't  as  old  then  as  now,  nor  Jimmy  McCune 
nor  Nicholas  either,  we  all  gathered  around  the 
new  master,  took  each  other  by  the  hand,  and 
there  pledged  ourselves,  each  to  the  other  and  all 
to  the  master,  that  as  long  as  the  old  tree  stood  we 
should  be  friends.  Then  young  Jimmy  led  the 
way,  and  with  hats  off  we  followed  him  over  the 
threshold  into  the  little  stone  school-house.  Once 
within,  silently  we  stood  with  eyes  intent  on  the 
master,  when  the  same  soft  voice  continued  : 

"  4  Now,  my  dear  boys  and  girls,  we'll  try  to  find 
a  nice  high  seat  for  the  large  ones,  and  the  little 
ones  will  sit  beside  the  master,  and  help  him  keep 
school.' 

"  First  month  there  wasn't  a  half-dozen  books 
in  the  whole  school,  but  the  master  said  he  didn't 
care  for  books,  as  long  as  he  could  give  the  boys 
and  girls  all  he  had  stored  up  in  his  head;  that  a 
master,  like  a  doctor,  didn't  amount  to  much  if  he 
had  all  the  time  to  be  looking  into  the  books  to 
find  out  what  kind  of  medicine  the  patient  needed. 
No,  there  weren't  many  books  that  I  can  recall;  we 
didn't  need  them,  for  the  master  had  a  mind  chock- 
full  of  knowledge,  and  it  flowed  through  the  school 
as  the  waters  of  the  spring  spread  over  the  meadow, 
giving  new  life  daily  to  each  tender  blade. 

u  There  was  no  forgetting  what  the  master 
taught,  for  there  was  experience  back  of  his  teach- 
ing, and  what  Jimmy  McCune  drove  into  a  boy's 


The  Treaty  Under  the  Oak.  371 

head  stuck  like  beeswax.  He  never  hitched  them 
all  together  in  a  string  as  now-a-days,  to  make  the 
smart  young  chap  pull  the  whole  team  along,  or  to 
be  held  back  by  the  weight  of  the  drones;  but  he 
called  them  up  one  at  a  time,  and  in  this  way 
measured  up  each  and  every  boy  in  the  school,  and 
knew  where  they  all  stood.  And  those  old  copy- 
books, the  head-lines  of  which  the  master  wrote 
with  his  own  hand!  What  golden  thoughts  and 
words  of  wisdom  those  lines  contained  !  Yes, 
they've  been  the  old  man's  guiding  star  all  through 
life,  and  will  remain  with  him  to  the  end.  Noth- 
ing like  them  to  be  found  in  the  printed  copy- 
books of  these  days." 

4  *  Was  the  treaty  made  under  the  old  oak  ever 
broken?"  we  asked. 

u  Broken?  No;  but  once  a  year,  as  long  as 
Jimmy  stayed,  it  was  renewed.  And  since  Jimmy 
has  passed  over  the  river  of  Time,  the  boys  and 
girls,  every  first  of  October  morning,  carry  wreaths 
of  autumn  leaves  and  flowers  from  the  garden- 
plot  around  the  old  house,  and  place  them  over 
Jim  and  Tim's  graves.  There  wasn't  one  of 
Jimmy's  first  boys  joined  the  last  procession 
except  myself,  for  the  others  had  long  since  passed 
away.  Yes,  yes,  old  friends  and  associations  may 
pass  away,  but  the  recollections  of  Jimmy  McCune, 
as  I  knew  him  when  I  was  a  lad,  struggling  with 
adversity  over  in  the  old  homestead,  can  never  be 
effaced.  Well  do  I  remember  the  old  leather-bound 


372  Nicholas  Comcnius. 

family  Bible  as  it  rested  on  the  mantel  of  the  huge 
stone  fireplace,  around  which  during  many  a  cold 
winter  evening  we  huddled  ourselves  together  as  a 
protection  against  the  bleak  winds,  waiting  in  joy- 
ous anticipation  for  the  master;  for  it  was  a  family 
custom  never  to  retire  until  Jimmy  McCune  had 
read  a  chapter  from  the  old  Bible,  and  pronounced 
a  '  God  bless  you  '  on  the  heads  of  old  and  young. 

44  It  was  evident,"  continued  Nicholas,  u  that 
the  Superintendent  was  much  affected.  The  very 
mention  of  the  aid  family  Bible  had  struck  a  re- 
sponsive chord.  Reaching  into  a  side  pocket  he 
drew  forth  a  small  leather-bound  volume,  and 
placing  it  in  my  hand  said: 

"  (  Here  too  is  a  memento  of  the  past,  worn  and 
old,  but  as  dear  to  my  heart  as  are  the  recollec- 
tions of  her  who  gave  it  to  me.  It  may  not 
have  the  wear  and  tear  of  time  which  marked  the 
one  out  of  which  Jimmy  McCune  read  the  blessed 
words  of  truth;  but  it  contains  those  same  golden 
thoughts  and  wholesome  lessons.  This  small 
volume  was  given  me  many  years  ago.' 

4 'As  he  passed  it  into  my  hands  he  paused  a 
moment,  and  then  said,  'Read  the  inscription,' 
and  as  I  looked,  I  saw  the  words:  4  Holy  Bible: 
From  mother  to  son. ' 

"The  old  Bible,  thought  I— the  little  book 
which  the  Superintendent  prized  so  highly  was 
the  same  blessed  word  of  truth  that  old  Jimmy  so 
often  read  to  us  when  I  was  a  boy! 


9* 

Nicholas  Pledges  Himself.  373 

"Then  I  reasoned  within  myself: — Jimmy  Mc- 
Cune  has  passed  away  with  the  days  gone  by,  but 
now  the  essence  and  strength  of  his  personality 
are  embodied  and  centered  in  the  new  teacher; 
the  one  symbolizing  the  dead  past,  the  other  the 
living  present,  each  the  representative  type  of  his 
respective  day  and  epoch.  Evidently,  thought  I, 
the  world  moves,  and  he  who  fails  to  keep  in 
touch  with  the  future  must  fall  by  the  wayside, 
broken  and  disheartened.  The  old  oak,  a  silent 
observer  of  the  scene  below,  has  lived  for  the  past; 
but  does  it  not  now  also  live  for  the  present? 
Then  why  should  I  be  of  less  worth  to  the  world 
than  the  aged  oak  ? 

"  So  grasping  the  Superintendent  by  the  hand, 
I  then  and  there  mentally  resolved  that  as  long  as 
God  gave  me  health  and  strength  to  battle  for  the 
cause  of  popular  education,  and  against  bigotry  and 
fanaticism,  there  at  all  times  would  I  stand. 

uAs  he  turned  to  leave  me,  his  very  counte- 
nance indicated  an  intense  desire  to  give  expression 
to  some  thought  that  for  a  moment  failed  to  find 
utterance.  4I  noticed  in  the  class  to-day/  said  he 
at  last,  'that  of  all  of  Emden's  corps  of  last  year's 
teachers,  only  one  has  had  the  moral  fortitude  to 
hold  his  ground  and  to  continue  the  good  fight  to 
the  end.' 

44 'True,  my  friend/  I  replied,  'those  young 
men  were  never  cut  out  for  pioneers.  It  is  their 
province  in  life,  like  the  rolling  stone  that  gathers 


374  Nicholas  Comenius. 

no  moss,  to  shift  from  one  position  to  another 
until  they  shall  have  reached  the  acme  of  their 
ambition,  far  beyond  the  profession  of  teaching.' 

"'But  what  has  prevailed  upon  young  Robert 
Rayland  so  nobly  to  stand  his  ground  ? '  said  he,  as 
he  leaned  against  the  aged  oak. 

44  'Robert  Rayland?'  I  replied.  'We  may  not, 
my  friend,  live  to  see  the  day,  but  the  time  will 
surely  come  when  this  young  student  will  make 
his  mark  in  the  world;  and  when  that  day  comes, 
the  name  of  Mary  Benton  will  be  the  one  to  which 
he  will  love  to  do  honor  and  reverence.  While  your 
pathway,  my  worthy  friend,  has  been  strewn  with 
thorns  and  thistles  in  your  lonely  pilgrimages  over 
Blackwell  county,  remember  that  you  will  ever 
have  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  that  in  Robert  Ray- 
land  there  lies  the  inspiration  of  an  unseen  power, 
which  as  years  roll  by  will  penetrate  every  school 
district  of  this  great  county.' 

"Alas,  my  young  friends,"  said  Nicholas; 
"only  a  few  weeks  later,  the  sad  news  reached  the 
village  of  the  passing  away  of  the  young  Superin- 
tendent, in  a  distant  city.  Overcome  by  the 
weight  of  a  multiplicity  of  duties  far  beyond  his 
strength,  this  noble  young  educator  had  fallen  a 
martyr  to  the  cause  he  so  much  loved." 

And  here  the  narrator  paused  for  a  moment  to 
master  the  emotion  caused  by  the  recollection  of 
his  departed  friend. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ANOTHER    DATE    FOR    ASCENSION — ORLANDO    MIS- 
TAKEN  AGAIN — OSCAR    BENTLY   IN   THE 
OLD   FORT. 

"  IT  was  late  that  evening  when  we  reached  the 
old  homestead,"  resumed  Nicholas;  "I  say  we,  for 
I  was  not  alone,  but  was  joined  by  young  Robert 
and  a  number  of  those  who  were  anxious  for  ap- 
pointment. Later  on,  one  after  another  of  Jimmy's 
friends  began  to  drop  in  on  us.  Even  the  trustees 
and  the  Squire  came  around,  as  they  said,  to  relieve 
their  minds  a  little,  unconscious  of  the  presence 
of  young  Robert  Ray  land,  and  rather  to  avoid  if 
possible  the  fearful  consequences  which  that  night 
was  to  bring  to  their  sorely-stricken  souls.  For  a 
time,  as  we  sat  on  the  porch,  not  a  word  was 
spoken,  each  being  intent  on  watching  the  full 
moon  as  it  came  into  view  from  over  a  neighboring 
hill.  There  was  something  intensely  significant 
about  the  appearance  of  the  heavens  on  that  event- 
ful evening;  for  in  accordance  with  the  prophecy 
of  Parson  Hoskins,  proclaimed  months  before,  the 
final  dissolution  of  the  world  was  to  take  place  at 
that  full  moon, 

375 


Oscar  Bently  Seeks  Cover.  377 

"No  noisy  demonstration  occurred  on  the  village 
streets  of  Emden — only  the  loud  shrill  voice  of 
Orlando  Hoskins,  as  he  galloped  to  and  fro  through 
the  town,  proclaiming  his  '  midnight  cry '  and 
carrying  consternation  at  times  to  many  hearts. 
From  farm-house  and  cabin  came  the  rushing  mul- 
titude to  the  call  of  his  trumpet's  piercing  sounds; 
rich  and  poor,  old  and  young — some  rejoicing, 
others  praying  for  deliverance  and  bemoaning  their 
sad  condition — all  impressed  with  the  fearful  con- 
sequences so  soon  to  overtake  them. 

"  In  the  pale  glimmer  of  the  full  moon,  in  the 
distance,  came  the  portly  form  of  old  Oscar  Bently, 
his  eyes  now  on  the  Parson  and  again  directed 
toward  an  old  abandoned  fort,  which  in  Revolu- 
tionary times  had  protected  the  village  of  Emden 
and  its  surroundings  from  the  Hessian  soldiers. 
He  chose  the  latter;  and  securely  entrenched 
within  the  portals  of  this  ancient  citadel,  Oscar 
bade  defiance  to  old  Time  with  his  sharpened 
scythe,  and  laid  himself  down  to  sleep — 4  perchance 
to  dream.'  On  housetops  and  elsewhere  in  Shaky 
Hollow  sat  many  a  fair  maiden,  dressed  in  white 
robes,  hoping  yet  fearing  the  moment  when  she 
should  bid  adieu  to  earthly  scenes  and  join  the 
celestial  throng. 

u  Anon,  while  piercing  shrieks,  mingled  with  the 
sweet  strains  of  a  hymn,  floated  on  the  air  from  a 
distant  corner  of  the  village,  there  rested  on  the 
little  assembly  on  the  porch  of  the  old  stone  man- 


37§  Nicholas  Comenius. 

sion  no  darkling  gloom,  but  the  hope  of  a  glorious 
future,  built  upon  a  foundation  against  which  the 
efforts  of  the  Rev.  Orlando  Hoskins  could  not  pre- 
vail. Our  guest  took  occasion  to  refer  to  the 
superstition  so  often  exploded;  and  as  the  words 
of  wisdom  fell  from  his  lips  and  those  of  Robert 
Rayland,  who  but  a  short  time  before  had  been 
shunned,  and  persecuted,  and  unjustly  censured,  a 
new  revelation  seemed  to  dawn  upon  the  vision 
of  the  older  men  beside  them.  It  was  not,  how- 
ever, until  the  old  grandfather's  clock,  which  had 
stood  for  more  than  five  generations  in  a  secluded 
corner  of  the  old  homestead,  had  struck  forth  the 
hour  of  midnight,  that  Robert  was  called  upon  to 
solemnize  the  parting  moments  by  reading  a  chap- 
ter from  the  old  family  Bible. 

"  After  a  night  of  intense  agony  and  long-suffer- 
ing, disappointment  and  remorse,  came  the  bright 
rays  of  the  genial  morning  sunshine.  Over  hill 
and  dale,  with  here  and  there  a  notable  exception, 
peace  and  quietude  reigned  supreme  over  Emden 
and  the  shades  of  Shaky  Hollow.  Along  secluded 
hedges  and  lonely  by-ways  a  draggled  rescuing- 
party  might  have  been  seen,  in  search  of  those  sup- 
posed to  have  strayed  along  the  outlying  ridges. 
Many  a  frail  form  lingered  for  months  thereafter  on 
a  bed  of  sickness  from  nervous  prostration,  in  some 
lonely  out-of-the-way  cabin.  Even  the  old  Parson, 
at  times  kindly  disposed  and  generous  to  a  fault, 
but  now  broken-hearted  and  dejected,  kept  himself 


Oscar  s  Waking.  379 

hidden  for  weeks  thereaftei  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  ivy-covered  parsonage.  Malinda  and 
her  mother,  on  the  other  hand,  were  not  so  easily 
disconcerted.  It  was  their  mission  to  re-establish 
confidence  among  the  weak,  the  doubting  and  hesi- 
tating; to  hold  the  old  almanac  accountable  for 
any  and  all  errors  or  mistakes  in  date,  and  at  the 
same  time  arrange  for  another  ascension  later  on. 

u  When  Oscar  Bently,  the  old  innkeeper  of  the 
General  Washington,  awoke  from  his  peaceful 
slumbers  at  the  first  dawn  of  returning  day,  he 
called  loudly  for  his  dear  Amelia.  Receiving  no 
reply  except  the  faint  echo  of  his  own  voice,  as  it 
reverberated  from  the  walls  of  the  old  fortress,  he 
flew  into  a  violent  rage,  declaring  he  was  another 
Robinson  Crusoe,  bereft  of  friends  and  destined  to 
roam  amid  the  wilds  of  Shaky  Hollow  a  lonely 
wanderer  to  the  end  of  his  days.  With  one  despe- 
rate effort  he  removed  the  barricades  from  the 
numerous  port-holes,  into  each  of  which  he  pro- 
ceeded to  thrust  his  head  and  stubby  shoulders,  to 
ascertain  the  lay  of  the  land  and  compute  the  value 
of  his  landed  possessions.  With  heavy  heart  he 
took  in  the  surrounding  landscape  far  and  near,  but 
no  living  form  of  man  or  beast  met  his  eye,  nor 
sound  his  ear.  'Hum!'  he  unconsciously  mur- 
mured, in  his  endeavor  to  extricate  himself  from 
the  confines  of  his  narrow  enclosure ;  '  yes,  yes,  all 
have  been  taken  except  old  Oscar  himself!  Poor 
Amelia,  for  more  than  forty  years  the  old  man's 


380  Nicholas  Contemns. 

stand-by  over  at  the  General  Washington,  gone  too, 
with  the  Parson  and  the  Squire,  the  regulars  and 
all  the  wicked  sinners  of  the  village.' 

"With  big  tears  trickling  down  his  troubled 
face,  Oscar's  eye  at  last  fell  upon  the  form  of 
Robert,  who  was  at  that  early  hour  pursuing  his 
usual  morning's  walk,  prior  to  his  departure  for  his 
summer's  vacation.  Rushing  to  the  door  he  ex- 
claimed, 4  Ah,  ha,  my  good  young  friend,  back  to 
stay  for  good  ? — or  only  on  furlough  ?  Old  Father 
Time  has  mowed  them  all  down  with  one  swing 
of  his  scythe !  Only  old  Oscar  Bently  and  the 
young  master  left,  to  run  the  school  and  the  Gen- 
eral Washington.  What  will  the  honest  innkeeper 
do  without  Amelia  and  the  regulars,  and  the  mas- 
ter without  the  little  codgers  ?' 

" 4  Wait  a  moment,  old  man,'  said  Robert ; 
4  what's  the  matter  with  you,  anyway?  Too  much 
schnapps  last  night  ?  Better  hurry  home,  for  the 
old  lady's  about  sending  out  a  contingent  of  regu- 
lars as  a  searching  party.' 

utWhat!  Amelia  alive,  and  the  regulars  on 
duty  ?  How  about  the  Squire  and  the  Parson  ?' 

"'Oh,  they're  all  safe.' 

U4The  Parson  safe,  eh?  Well,  I'd  never  have 
believed  it !  Yes,  yes,'  muttered  Oscar,  '  more 
trouble  ahead  for  the  old  innkeeper.  Now,  young 
man,  take  a  pointer  from  the  old  man.  Say  noth- 
ing to  Amelia.  I'll  slip  in  at  the  back  door  and 
make  the  old  gal  believe  Oscar's  been  sound  asleep 


Oscar's  Return. 


381 


in  the  spare  room.'  With  this  monologue  the 
jolly  innkeeper  went  puffing  along  with  all  the 
speed  his  short  limbs  could  command,  to  explain 
as  best  he  could  his  night's  absence  from  the  Gen- 
eral Washington. 


OSCAR   RETURNS   TO   AMELIA. 


"  When  old  Oscar  reached  the  famous  inn  over 
which  he  had  for  so  many  years  held  sway,  with 
disheveled  hair,  his  trousers  tucked  into  his  long 
untanned  boots,  and  his  old  felt  hat,  which  had 


3§2  Nicholas  Comenius. 

done  service  as  a  bolster  the  night  before,  jammed 
down  over  both  ears,  he  was  met  by  the  full  com- 
plement of  regulars  and  his  ever-faithful  wife.  It 
seemed  useless  to  make  any  attempt  at  defence. 
As  he  was  pressed  on  all  sides  for  some  explana- 
tion of  his  miraculous  escape  from  the  old  fortress, 
he  at  once  proceeded  with  a  satisfactory  explana- 
tion. As  no  one  in  all  the  country  round  had  ever 
had  the  moral  courage  to  enter  this  Revolutionary 
landmark,  owing  to  certain  mysterious  powers 
supposed  to  emanate  therefrom,  he  who  had  the 
moral  courage  to  enter  this  old  fort,  even  in  the 
light  of  day,  was  considered  a  hero.  Trances  and 
visions  had  their  origin  in  this  old  relic  of  other 
days.  In  fact,  all  the  mysterious  local  tales  and 
midnight  superstitions  started  in  the  old  fortress 
of  Emden. 

" 4  Oh/  said  Oscar,  'twas  a  frightful  night  for 
any  other  than  one  with  a  strong  arm  and  a  brave 
heart.  Yes,  it  was  Oscar  Bently  that  was  spirited 
away  by  the  old  Parson  from  the  bosom  of  his 
family  in  the  wee  hours  of  the  night,  and  forced 
into  the  old  dungeon.  But  what  a  night  of 
troubled  spirit  and  vexation  of  mind !  All  night 
long  there  was  a  little  army  of  Hessian  soldiers, 
with  presented  arms  and  fixed  bayonets,  standing 
right  before  the  old  man,  as  he  lay  on  the  hard 
stone  floor.  Open  my  eyes,  and  away  they  would 
bob  behind  the  barricades ;  close  them,  and  there 
they  would  stand,  with  their  little  gray  bobtail 


tiscars  Story.  383 

Coats,  pointed  hats,  and  boots  turned  up  at  the 
toes  like  sleigh-runners.  And  the  Captain — I 
mustn't  forget  him,  for  he  was  a  dandy  sort  of  a 
little  chap !  Well,  these  little  devils  kept  coming 
closer  and  closer,  and  so  at  last  I  got  my  blood 
up,  raised  myself  and  said  :  u  Don't  you  know  the 
war's  been  fought  and  won  many  years  ago  ?  Who 
am  I  ?  Well,  I'm  none  other  than  the  proprietor 
of  the  General  Washington."  uThe  General 
Washington?"  replied  the  Captain!  'Yes,  that 
same  old  General  that  met  and  defeated  the  whole 
Hessian  army  at  the  battle  of  Trenton."  And  with 
the  mention  of  George  Washington  they  all  scam- 
pered away  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry  them. 
Now,  when  daylight  came,  there  were  the  door  and 
the  port-holes  barricaded  as  tight  as  they'd  been 
the  night  before.  How  did  the  little  imps  get  in? 
That's  the  question  that  bothers  old  Oscar.' 

u  And  with  this  explanation  Oscar,  Amelia,  and 
the  whole  contingent  of  regulars,  made  their  way 
into  the  bar-room,  thankful  for  the  mysterious  es- 
cape of  the  host  of  the  General  Washington.'' 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ROBERT   RETURNS  TO  EMDEN — WHY  DID  HE  COME 

BACK? — THE   PARSON'S  WIFE — WELCOMED 

BY  THE   DIRECTORS. 

AND  so  the  intervening  months  of  spring  and 
snmmer,  with  meadows  teeming  with  wild  flowers 
and  broad  acres  with  golden  grain,  passed  slowly 
by,  to  be  followed  by  early  autumn  with  orchards 
laden  with  luscious  fruit  and  broad  fields  bedecked 
here  and  there  with  shocks  of  corn,  interspersed 
with  the  yellow  pumpkin  so  necessary  to  the  health 
of  the  regulars  and  the  success  of  the  thrifty  inn- 
keeper, who  stood  ever  ready  with  an  eye  single  to 
the  main  chance.  Was  it  anticipation  of  Robert 
Ray  land  or  Jimmy  McCune,  that  caused  the  faces 
of  the  half  hundred  boys  and  girls  standing  around 
the  stone  school  on  that  lovely  October  morning  to 
be  wreathed  in  smiles?  Of  that  throng  of  happy 
hearts,  how  many  were  longing  for  the  return  of 
old  Jimmy,  the  master,  to  whom  but  a  short  year 
before  they  were  so  devotedly  attached?  No  math- 
ematical demonstration  is  necessary  to  solve  the 
problem  of  child-nature.  To  gravitate  from  the 
old  to  the  new — from  old  associations,  habits  and 
384 


f&         OF  TMB         ' 
f    UN 

Robert  Returns  to  Emden^^^^ 

customs,  to  new  conditions,  as  exemplified  in  the 
personality  and  character  of  Robert  Rayland — was 
as  natural  to  the  young  mind  as  are  reveries  and 
meditations  on  the  past  to  the  aged  grandfather. 

The  transition  from  the  old  master  into  the 
young  teacher  was  the  result  of  a  condition  in 
which  the  child  was  the  essential  factor;  for  as  the 
young  and  tender  plant  reaches  forth  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  sun's  rays  for  light  and  warmth,  so 
the  tender  hearts  of  the  young  obey  the  same  law 
of  nature  and  gravitate  one  toward  another.  For 
the  old  master  there  may  have  been  a  certain  re- 
verential respect,  as  there  is  and  at  all  times  should 
be  for  old  age;  but  for  Robert  Rayland' s  return 
there  was  a  longing  desire,  akin  to  that  filial  love 
which  a  boy  experiences  during  his  first  visit  from 
home;  and  so  when  the  sound  of  the  stage-horn, 
announcing  the  arrival  of  the  coach  which  was  to 
bring  the  teacher  back  to  the  village  of  Emden, 
fell  upon  the  ears  of  both  old  and  young,  no  cold 
indifference  manifested  itself  among  the  throng 
which  had  gathered  before  the  old  inn. 

A  glance  at  the  stone  mansion  of  Squire  Benton 
was  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  most  incredulous  that  a 
generous  hospitality  awaited  him  who  had  come 
the  year  previous  as  an  entire  stranger.  The 
happy  smile  on  Hannah's  face  was  a  sufficient 
guarantee  that  an  event  of  no  secondary  import- 
ance was  about  to  occur,  and  that  Robert  had  been 
triumphantly  re-elected  for  another  term.  But 


386  Nicholas  Comenins. 

why  dwell  longer  on  the  personality  of  the  plain, 
uncultured  country  school-girl  of  Einden?  the  im- 
patient reader  will  remark,  as  he  pictures  her  in 
the  light  of  a  fickle-minded  girl  in  love  with  the 
new  teacher.  To  accept  such  a  hastily-pronounced 
verdict  would  be  doing  an  injustice  to  her  sterling 
qualities.  That  Hannah  had  tasted  of  the  cup 
whose  waters  had  been  drawn  from  the  very  foun- 
tain-head of  intellectual  development,  that  having 
so  imbibed  she  was  prone  to  discover  their  hidden 
source,  was  not  for  a  moment  to  be  doubted ;  but  to 
infer  that  she  was  moved  by  an  impulse  such  as  the 
world  might  impute,  would  be  doing  injustice  to 
her  ingenuous  nature. 

With  Robert  Ray  land,  however,  it  may  have 
been  in  a  measure  the  opposite;  but  to  attribute  to 
him  other  than  the  highest  motives  consistent  with 
an  exemplary  character,  would  be  doing  an  equal 
injustice.  His  conception  of  the  true  intent  and 
meaning  of  the  new  law  was  far  in  advance  of  the 
average  educator  of  his  day.  He  was  in  no  sense 
of  the  word,  then  or  in  after  years,  an  extremist  in 
the  methods  to  be  sought  in  the  development  of  the 
young  mind,  but  held  to  the  psychological  fact  and 
pedagogical  maxim,  that  the  expansion  of  the  mind 
should  go  hand  in  hand  with  that  of  the  heart  and 
soul.  He  sought  to  cultivate  the  observing  facul- 
ties rather  than  to  overtax  the  memory — a  mon- 
strous error  into  which  the  system  has  since  drifted. 
To  proceed  from  the  known  to  the  unknown,  and 


Robert  Returns  to  Emden.  387 

never  to  let  the  letter  stand  for  the  spirit,  was  also 
an  axiom,  which  to  his  mind  needed  no  demon- 
stration. Practical,  and  yet  with  a  perfectly  clear 
comprehension  of  theory,  Robert  built  upon  a 
foundation  which  his  keen  foresight  at  all  times 
assured  him  was  what  the  common  people  of  every 
class  so  much  required  in  the  daily  walks  of  life. 
And  while  he  believed  implicitly  in  higher  educa- 
tional facilities,  he  nevertheless  devoted  his  best 
energies  to  the  equipment  of  the  average  school,  in 
which  the  masses  were  to  be  educated.  Whether 
Robert  Rayland  misconceived  the  true  intent  of  the 
framers  of  the  law,  which  was  to  found  a  system 
on  the  broad  principle  that  the  ninety-five  per 
cent,  of  all  those  attending  school  should  have  the 
same  advantages  in  the  grammar  school,  the  school 
of  the  people,  that  are  now  held  out  exclusively  to 
the  five  per  cent,  attending  high  school,  is  a  ques- 
tion on  which  there  should  be  but  one  opinion. 

But  why  should  Robert,  with  his  natural  ability 
and  past  experience,  again  risk  his  reputation  by 
taking  charge  of  Emden  school  for  the  second 
time?  Had  he  not  already  been  vindicated,  and 
were  not  other  more  available  and  desirable  posi- 
tions awaiting  him  in  other  more  favorable  locali- 
ties? His  first  venture  may  have  been  largely  an 
experiment,  in  which  so  many  young  men  love  to 
risk  their  chances  in  life  in  the  hope  of  gaining 
experience  as  well  as  notoriety ;  but  why  should  he 
return  to  a  district  with  but  few  of  the  refining  in- 


388  Nicholas  Comenius. 

finances  under  which  he  had  lived  from  early  in- 
fancy? Was  it  the  love  he  bore  the  old  school, 
with  its  bleak  and  cheerless  surroundings,  that 
induced  him  to  make  the  sacrifice — for  such  in 
reality  it  was — or  was  he  moved  by  some  myster- 
ious force  over  which  he  had  no  control?  And 
yet,  aside  from  these  minor  considerations,  what 
object  other  than  Hannah,  the  one  and  only  one  in 
the  whole  school  who  had  befriended  him  in  the 
hour  of  his  deepest  anguish  and  humiliation,  could 
have  exerted  over  him  a  more  lasting  and  to  her  a 
more  unconscious  influence  in  shaping  his  future 
course  in  life  ? 

Yes,  it  was  the  influence  of  the  modest  school- 
girl that  had  followed  him  to  his  far-off  New  Eng- 
land home,  and  had  made  the  elegant  and  commo- 
dious school  building  of  his  native  town  sink  into 
insignificance  in  comparison  with  the  little  stone 
house  with  Hannah  as  a  pupil.  Even  the  flowers 
which  grew  wild  around  the  old  house  seemed  far 
brighter  and  sweeter  than  the  cultivated  geraniums 
that  grew,  under  the  fostering  care  of  the  gardener, 
around  the  new  structure.  The  stately  elm,  in- 
digenous to  every  New  England  village  and  ham- 
let, and  beneath  which  he  had  received  his  first 
lesson  from  the  lips  of  his  sainted  mother,  appeared 
to  have  lost  its  symmetry  and  majestic  bearing  in 
comparison  with  the  rugged  old  oak  under  which 
Jimmy  McCune  had  formed  his  famous  treaty  of 
peace,  some  forty-odd  years  before. 


Robert  Returns  to  Emden.  389 

Four  long  months  had  now  passed  since  Robert 
was  the  guest  of  Comenius,  on  that  lovely  moon- 
light evening  of  early  spring.  The  intervening 
days  were  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word  vacation 
days — a  season  of  recreation  unknown  to  the  old 
masters;  for  how  many  weeks  or  even  days  had 
old  Jimmy  for  study  or  rest?  From  the  school- 
room to  the  drudgery  of  the  farm,  and  back  again 
to  "  teach  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot "  was  the 
yearly  rotation  of  the  old  pedagogue.  Yet  it  was 
not  simply  a  preference  on  the  part  of  the  master, 
it  was  a  demand  on  the  part  of  public  opinion ; 
for  he  who  paraded  himself  as  a  learned  professor, 
however  well  he  could  sustain  the  character,  found 
little  favor  among  the  people.  And  so  may  it  not 
be  said  that  vacation  days,  in  so  far  as  they  relate 
to  the  teacher's  calling,  are  a  modern  innovation, 
co-incident  with  the  incoming  of  the  new  system  ? 

As  young  Robert  alighted  from  the  coach  at  the 
door  of  Squire  Benton's  law  office,  even  the  now 
good-natured  innkeeper,  his  helpmate,  and  a  goodly 
number  of  the  regulars,  pressed  their  way  forward 
to  wish  him  a  happy  return  and  a  uGod  bless 
you."  At  the  other  end  of  the  village,  however, 
around  the  Parson's  mansion,  there  was  nothing 
but  cold  indifference  manifested. 

"  I  never  in  my  life  could  understand,"  said  the 
Parson's  wife,  "  why  all  this  fuss  should  be  made 
over  a  common  school  teacher  who  hasn't  been  out 
of  town  for  more  than  a  month  or  two,  It's  ten  to 


3  go  Nicholas  Comenius. 

one  he's  been  away  down  East  making  love  to  some 
Yankee  girl.  IVe  been  telling  Malinda  that  there's 
better  fish  in  the  sea  than  have  ever  been  caught ; 
but  the  poor  girl  keeps  fretting  over  her  disap- 
pointment more  than  is  good  for  her  health,  which 
has  been  failing  wofully  of  late.  But  there's  one 
consolation — yes,  one  consoling  thought ;  and  that 
is  Orlando's  prediction,  and  he  has  never  yet  made 
a  4  predict '  that  wouldn't  have  come  to  pass  to  the 
minute,  had  the  reckoning  of  the  old  almanac  been 
correct.  Now  Orlando  says  that  before  the  teacher 
can  marry  Hannah  Benton,  the  world  is  going  to 
collapse  and  knock  the  wedding  ceremonies  all 
into  smithereens.  Only  last  week  the  Parson  sold 
the  best  cow  in  the  stable  to  provide  Malinda  with 
a  suitable  outfit  for  the  next  Ascension.  Guess 
when  the  professor  gets  a  glimpse  of  her  white 
robes  as  she  goes  soaring  upwards  among  the 
planets,  he'll  be  after  relenting,  and  will  want  to 
call  her  back.  See,  it's  been  all  arranged  to  send 
her  off  a  day  or  so  before  the  day  fixed  for  the 
final  dissolution.  Now  Malinda  has  been  trying 
to  persuade  Orlando  to  invite  the  new  teacher 
around  when  the  send-off  occurs;  for  we're  all 
kind  o'  persuaded  to  give  him  one  more  chance  to 
marry  the  poor  girl  while  there's  time.  But  it's 
awfully  mortifying  to  think  that  after  all  the 
preaching  on  the  day  of  judgment  that  Orlando 
has  been  doing  for  more  than  a  score  of  years,  the 
new  teacher  should  be  stirring  up  the  congrega- 


Robert  Returns  to  Emden.  391 

tion  and  telling  them  that  Orlando's  doctrine  is  all 
a  humbug.  There's  the  Squire  and  the  trustees, 
for  example.  Who'd  ever  have  thought  that  their 
heads  could  be  twisted  around  against  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  in  favor  of  the  new  system  ?  But  their 
wicked  souls  will  have  to  wallow  along  on  this 
unregenerated  and  sinful  planet,  while  Orlando 
and  his  family  are  sitting  in  the  front  pews  of  the 
New  Jerusalem.  I  tell  you,  my  friend,  it's  the 
Parson's  wife  that's  been  walking  the  straight  and 
narrow  path,  and  that's  bringing  her  four  daughters 
up  in  the  way  they  should  go.  If  Malinda  is  des- 
tined to  meet  with  disappointment  down  here, 
she'll  receive  her  reward  in  the  sweet  bye  and  bye, 
where  the  weary  cease  from  trouble  and  the  wicked 
never  rest." 

At  this  moment,  the  Parson's  eye  was  attracted 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  and  rushing  into 
the  room,  he  exclaimed:  "  Malinda,  Malinda!" 
and  the  next  moment  every  eye  was  turned  in  the 
direction  of  the  old  stone  house. 

"  How  perfectly  handsome  he  is !"  ejaculated  one. 

"  How  gracefully  he  walks  in  his  new  broad- 
cloth Boston  outfit!"  exclaimed  another. 

"  Yes,  he's  Malinda's  size  exactly,  and  his  dark 
hair  is  just  the  opposite  of  hers ;  and  it's  two  oppo- 
sites  that  always  make  the  best  matches,"  said  the 
Parson's  next-door  neighbor's  wife. 

But  while  this  spirited  conversation  was  going 
on  in  the  Parson's  house,  there  was  a  sudden  com- 


392  Nicholas  Comenius. 

motion;  for  Malinda  had  fallen  in  a  swoon,  and 
had  to  be  carried  into  an  adjoining  room. 

"I  have  forgotten,"  resumed  the  reminiscent 
Nicholas,  "  a  good  many  things  that  are  new  and 
some  that  are  old,  but  I  shall  never  forget  the  re- 
ception the  Squire  and  the  trustees  gave  the  pro- 
fessor when  he  reached  the  old  house.  The  very 
next  Sunday  after  Robert  and  the  Superintendent 
had  exploded  the  notion  that  the  world  was  coming 
to  an  end,  the  Squire  got  religion,  but  it  was  a  new 
faith  that  didn't  require  any  of  the  Parson's  wings. 
In  fact  it  suited  the  Squire  better  than  the  doctrine 
preached  by  the  Parson;  for  he  said  he  wasn't 
ready  to  give  up  his  practice  at  the  bar  anyway, 
and  wanted  a  little  more  time  in  his  old  days  to 
help  along  the  modern  improvements.  For  the 
regenerated  Squire  became  one  of  the  foremost  ad- 
vocates of  the  new  school  system,  and  the  personal 
friend  of  every  young  teacher,  as  he  had  been  of 
every  old  master.  Some  say  this  change  of  heart 
was  brought  about  by  the  young  professor,  while 
others  incline  to  the  opinion  that  it  was  the  work 
of  Hannah  and  her  mother,  who've  been  working 
wonders  for  good  among  the  women  folks  of  this 
town.  But  whatever  the  source  of  the  change,  it 
was  genuine  and  permanent.  Yes,  the  Squire's 
conversion  was  felt  all  over  the  district,  and  it 
almost  paralyzed  the  old  innkeeper  of  the  General 
Washington ;  for  he  didn't  pay  him  any  more 
visits,  but  kept  at  home,  reading  the  Scriptures.'5 


Revolution  in  Public  Sentiment.         393 

And  so  when  young  Robert  Rayland,  happy  in 
the  realization  of  duty  performed  and  conscious  of 
the  reward  which  must  sooner  or  later  crown  every 
noble  effort,  stepped  within  the  little  stone  house 
on  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  his  second  term, 
there  was  neither  faltering  of  step  nor  doubt  of 
mind  as  to  the  complete  transformation  public 
opinion  had  undergone  during  his  temporary  ab- 
sence from  the  Emden  district. 

Was  this  sudden  revolution  effected  by  the  per- 
sonal work  of  one  individual,  and  that  a  teacher 
of  a  rural  school,  of  no  consequence  to  the  great 
army  of  educators  which  the  system  has  since  pro- 
duced ?  Is  a  victory  achieved  even  in  a  backwoods 
district,  under  trials  and  difficulties  almost  insur- 
mountable, of  less  value  to  the  educational  world 
than  one  gained  in  any  other  vocation  of  life? 

Dear  teacher,  has  it  ever  been  your  fortune  or 
misfortune  to  be  ushered  into  a  district  school, 
with  apparently  the  highest  prospects,  only  to 
appreciate  the  lamentable  fact  later  on,  that  while 
you  were  seemingly  the  choice  of  the  entire  School 
Board,  some  less  qualified  applicant  held  a  petition 
signed  by  every  patron  in  the  district  ?  In  no  way 
personally  responsible  yourself  for  the  unhappy 
conflict  between  directors  and  patrons,  was  it  your 
misfortune  to  fall  by  the  wayside,  disheartened 
and  discouraged  ?  Or  have  you  the  proud  satisfac- 
tion of  looking  back  to  those  early  trials  and  diffi- 
culties in  which  your  own  force  of  character  and 


394  Nicholas  Comenius. 

perseverance  carried  you  safely  through  to  the 
end  ?  And  do  you  recall  your  triumphant  return 
to  the  same  school  the  year  following,  and  how 
you  were  met  at  the  very  threshold  with  open 
arms  by  those  who  had  been  most  active  oppon- 
ents ?  These  little  episodes  in  the  early  experience 
of  the  average  teacher  are  often  among  the  most 
sacred  and  cherished  of  a  long  and  eventful  life. 
Happy  indeed,  then,  must  have  been  Robert  Ray- 
land  in  the  realization  of  his  fondest  hopes  and  ex- 
pectations, as  he  looked  upon  faces  wrinkled  with 
age,  yet  mellowed  by  that  mysterious  influence 
which  only  one  strong  individuality  can  uncon- 
sciously produce  upon  an  entire  community. 

"If  memory  serves  me  right  again,"  remarked 
Nicholas,  "  not  even  General  Lafayette,  in  his  tri- 
umphal march  through  the  village,  met  with  a 
more  hearty  welcome  than  that  which  now  awaited 
the  new  teacher;  for  it  had  all  been  arranged  to 
give  him  a  handsome  send-off.  There  on  the  long 
bench  sat  five  of  the  six  trustees  and  the  Squire  in 
their  Sunday  outfits ;  for  I  tell  you  there  was  no 
discounting  the  old  men  of  that  early  day  when 
they  got  their  heads  set  in  a  certain  direction.  Of 
course,  they  couldn't  change  their  natures  in  a  day, 
any  more  than  they  could  their  love  for  old  Jimmy ; 
yet  when  they  got  well  started  under  a  full  head  of 
steam  they  gave  the  new  system  such  a  send-off, 
arid  it's  been  moving  along  ever  since  at  such  a 
rapid  rate,  that  the  only  wonder  is,  with  the  load  it 


Revolution  in  Public  Sentiment.         395 

has  had  to  carry,  that  it  hasn't  jumped  the  track 
long  ago.  For  a  long  time  the  system  kept  moving 
along  pretty  close  to  the  safety  line ;  but  the  older 
it  gets  the  heavier  the  load  becomes.  As  soon  as 
one  of  those  modern  educators  gets  hold  of  a  new 
scheme,  he  manages  to  get  it  off  on  the  teachers  at 
conventions,  and  they  in  turn  unload  it  on  to  the 
little  codgers  much  in  the  same  way  as  they  receive 
it.  It's  quantity  without  regard  to  quality  that's 
undermining  the  mental  faculties  of  the  rising 
generation.  But  as  it's  all  in  the  line  of  our 
modern  high-pressure  system,  that  controls  every 
other  department  of  life,  there  would  seem  to  be  no 
other  way  than  for  the  multitude  to  move  along 
with  those  who've  got  their  hands  on  the  lever, 
and  take  their  chance  with  the  young  men  in 
charge  of  the  machine." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

PRESIDENT    UJKINS   IN    FULL    DRESS — HE   ALARMS 

OSCAR    BENTLY — EBENEZER' S  SPEECH   TO 

ROBERT. 

IT  was  Ebenezer  Lukins,  the  President  of  the 
Board,  who  on  account  of  his  standing  in  the  com- 
munity and  recent  conversion  was  chosen  to  make 
the  presentation  speech  to  the  young  teacher. 
Well,  no  sooner  had  he  been  appointed  to  officiate 
than  he  began  to  look  wise  and  hustle  around  for  a 
new  outfit,  suitable  to  the  occasion  ;  for  he  wasn't 
to  be  outdone,  even  in  his  old  days,  by  any  of  the 
young  chaps.  Of  course,  as  he  couldn't  borrow  a 
suit,  he  decided  to  fall  back  on  his  wedding  cos- 
tume, which,  although  a  little  off  in  color  and 
style,  and  never  worn  since  the  day  he  married 
Nancy  over  in  the  parsonage  more  than  fifty  years 
before,  he  considered  as  in  all  respects  most  appro- 
priate for  the  position  he  was  to  occupy.  But 
Ebenezer  never  realized  until  the  morning  of  the 
entertainment  that  while  he  had  nearly  doubled  in 
size  and  weight,  the  old  swallow-tailed  coat  and 
broadcloth  breeches  had  if  anything  grown  smaller 
both  in  width  and  length.  However,  after  a  hard 

396 


Nancy  Lukinss  Reflections.  397 

tussle,  Nancy  and  the  girls  managed  to  get  the  old 
gentleman  well  inside  the  ancient  costume,  and 
seating  him  astride  the  saddle-bags  of  old  Nan,  his 
favorite  mare,  started  him  off,  happy  in  the  reflec- 
tion that  Ebenezer  Lukins,  for  so  many  years  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Emden  school  district  under 
the  old  system,  was  now  also  to  reap  fresh  honors 
under  the  new.  But  if  Nancy  was  proud  of  the 
honors  which  awaited  her  husband,  she  was  at  the 
same  time  overcome  with  a  feeling  of  sadness  as 
heir  eyes  followed  him  through  the  long  lane  which 
led  from  the  farm-house  to  the  main  roadway. 

"  Fifty  years  is  a  long  time,"  thought  Nancy,  as 
her  mind  reverted  to  the  old  associations  of  her 
girlhood  days,  to  the  parsonage  and  the  old  Parson. 
Then,  quietly  and  alone  she  stole  over  and  into  a 
silent  room,  set  apart  for  the  quaint  oddities  of 
other  days,  unlocked  and  raised  the  lid  of  a  leather- 
covered  chest,  and  drew  forth  her  own  wedding 
garments.  A  moment  later  the  antiquated  mirror 
had  reflected  back  her  own  image — but  oh,  how 
changed  !  There,  true  enough,  were  the  gorgeous 
silks  and  satins,  and  the  bright-colored  bonnet; 
but  all  these  contrasted  so  oddly  with  her  present 
form  and  appearance,  that  she  muttered,  with  a 
shake  of  the  head  : 

"  Yes,  yes,  they  were  gay  and  handsome  in  their 
day,  as  were  Nancy  and  Ebenezer ;  but  who  would 
ever  catch  a  woman  of  my  years  parading  through 
the  town  all  tucked  up  in  such  an  array  of  finery, 


398  Nicholas  Comenius. 

for  no  other  purpose  than  to  please  the  young  mas- 
ter ?  And  what  would  Orlando  Hoskins,  the  min- 
ister, say  to  see  old  Nancy  Lukins  strutting  in 
among  the  young  folks  and  the  new  teacher,  when 
she  should  be  at  home  preparing  for  the  final 
send-off,  and  the  ending  of  all  earthly  pleasures? 
Verily,  the  new  system  has  completely  turned  the 
head  of  Ebenezer,  and  driven  him  from  the  straight 
and  narrow  path  of  his  spiritual  duties,  to  seek  a 
new  salvation,  as  proclaimed  by  that  apostle  of  the 
new  educational  system. ' ' 

And  with  these  inward  meditations,  Nancy  re- 
placed the  semi-celestial  robes,  silks  and  satins, 
within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  old  leather-bound 
chest,  to  find  consolation  among  her  many  house- 
hold duties. 

Quietly  and  alone  Ebenezer  wended  his  way 
toward  the  little  stone  house,  repeating  to  himself 
the  little  speech  which  he  had  committed  to  mem- 
ory, unconscious  of  the  sad  reflections  which  had 
crossed  the  mind  of  Nancy  in  that  silent  room, 
since  he  had  bidden  her  a  brief  good-bye  a  few 
moments  before.  Nothing  of  importance  occurred 
to  disturb  his  peaceful  reveries  until  he  reached  the 
old  hostelry.  At  this  moment  his  strange  attire, 
rendered  doubly  impressive  by  the  peculiar  style 
and  shape  of  his  high-crowned  head-gear,  began  to 
attract  attention;  for  by  each  alternating  motion 
of  the  old  nag,  his  cranium  had  been  forced  up- 
wards into  the  crown  of  the  old-style  beaver. 


Oscar  Bently  Alarmed.  399 

Whether  it  was  the  peculiar  effect  a  stranger 
always  produced  on  the  nerves  of  the  score  or  more 
of  lazy,  half-starved  curs  that  were  part  and  parcel 
of  the  dilapidated  surroundings,  or  the  unsightly 
appearance  of  Ebenezer  in  particular,  now  unrecog- 
nizable even  by  his  most  intimate  friends,  as  he 
came  joggling  along  on  the  back  of  the  old  nag, 
has  never  been  definitely  ascertained.  That  the 
Bedlam  of  sounds  at  once  awoke  old  Oscar  from 
his  nap,  as  he  sat  in  the  sunlight  surrounded  by  a 
contingent  of  regulars,  was  apparent  even  to  the 
unsophisticated  mind  of  Ebenezer,  who  was  unable 
to  discover  what  relation,  if  any,  he  bore  to  the 
great  army  of  tramps  that  had  infested  the  country 
for  years. 

uWhat  strange  specimen  of  humanity  has  sud- 
denly found  his  way  into  the  very  heart  of 
Emden?n  thought  Oscar,  as  he  began  to  recover 
consciousness  with  a  start.  Was  this  a  second  edi- 
tion of  Rip  Van  Winkle,  returning  to  his  long-lost 
home  after  an  absence  of  twenty  years  ? 

UI  declare  by  the  shades  of  Shaky  Hollow," 
spoke  a  tall,  slender,  middle-aged  hanger-on,  rising 
from  his  lounging  posture,  "that  it's  none  other 
than,  one  of  the  advance  guard  of  the  old  prophet 
William  Miller,  or  else  that  long-looked-for  person- 
age himself. " 

The  idea  that  the  fatal  hour  of  reckoning  had  at 
last  come  at  once  took  possession  of  the  bewildered 
mind  of  the  now  thoroughly  frightened  innkeeper, 


4OO  Nicholas  Comenius. 

as  he  beheld  the  strange  and  grotesque  figure  pre- 
paring to  dismount  at  his  very  door.  Rushing  into 
the  bar-room  with  all  the  haste  he  could  command, 
he  summoned  his  devoted  wife  to  his  side  and 
tremblingly  exclaimed,  with  big  tears  trickling 
down  his  cheeks : 

u Amelia,  my  good,  faithful  Amelia,  we're 
ruined,  we're  ruined.  Send  for  the  Squire,  for  I 
must  make  my  will.  Square  up  the  accounts  with 
the  regulars,  and  make  a  liberal  discount  for  cash 
payment.  It's  all  up  at  last  with  the  honest  old 
innkeeper  of  the  General  Washington,  who  has 
never  done  a  mean  act  in  his  life,  if  I  do  say  it  my- 
self. Get  your  Sunday  clothes  ready,  Amelia,  for 
the  old  prophet  has  come  in  person  to  proclaim  the 
end  of  terrestrial  things.  Oh,  if  the  old  man  could 
only  be  spared  for  a  week  longer,  I'd  clear  the  bar, 
empty  out  the  wine  and  spirits,  start  a  prayer-meet- 
ing among  the  regulars,  and  get  myself  measured 
for  a  new  suit,  that  would  give  me  a  respectable 
standing  among  the  church-going  people  when  we 
all  go  soaring  off  together  among  the  planets  !  But 
it's  too  late — too  late  for  repentance  now!  " 

At  this  important  juncture  a  bright  idea  struck 
Amelia,  who  replied :  "  Bring  him  in,  Oscar,  and 
maybe  you  can  buy  him  off  with  a  little  of  the  best 
schnapps  in  the  cellar,  or  get  him  to  postpone  the 
exercises  until  the  old  man  can  get  himself  worked 
up  to  the  starting  point." 

But  while  the  landlord  was  still  trembling  '« 


Oscar  Recognizes  Ebenezer.  401 

every  nerve,  the  door  suddenly  opened,  and  in 
stepped  Ebenezer,  followed  by  the  throng  of  idlers 
who  had  by  this  time  discovered  the  true  character 
and  purpose  of  the  old  gentleman's  mission. 
Cringingly  the  terrified  landlord  approached  the 
stranger  and  said : 

"In  the  name  of  my  good  wife  and  family,  have 
mercy  on  the  old  man  and  give  him  a  few  days 
longer  to  prepare  himself;  and  don't  take  him  off 
with  this  old  outfit,  which,  while  it  may  be  all 
right  for  the  General  Washington,  isn't  at  all 
suited  for  the  Upward  Journey." 

Beckoning  the  old  lady,  Ebenezer  approached 
the  bar,  and  after  succeeding  by  a  desperate  effort 
in  removing  his  head-gear,  said:  "  A  little  schnapps, 
and  hurry  it  along ;  for  Ebenezer  Lukins  is  down 
for  the  presentation  speech  over  at  the  old  school, 
and  he  must  be  moving." 

Hearing  the  familiar  voice  of  Ebenezer,  Oscar, 
bounding  to  his  feet,  exclaimed  :  "  Amelia,  Amelia, 
run  down  into  the  cellar  and  bring  my  friend  Ebe- 
nezer a  little  of  the  straight  unadulterated  spirits, 
that's  never  been  tapped  ;  and  call  in  the  regulars 
to  join  with  old  Oscar,  now  himself  again."  Then, 
taking  Ebenezer  aside,  he  related  in  most  graphic 
language  the  trance  through  which  he  positively 
declared  he  had  passed;  the  strange  hallucinations 
that  had  flashed  upon  his  mind  while  the  queer 
spell  was  on. 

But  however  inclined  the  disingenuous  proprietor 
26 


402  Nicholas  Comenms. 

of  the  General  Washington  may  have  been  to  de- 
ceive, as  well  as  conciliate  Ebenezer,  he  was  in  a 
manner  irresponsible  ;  for  the  wily  intrigues  of  the 
Hoskins  family  had  completely  encompassed  him 
with  a  net-work  of  their  own  false  doctrines. 
Even  men  of  stronger  mental  and  physical  endow- 
ments than  Oscar  were  at  times  so  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  idea  that  the  end  of  all  things 
mortal  was  destined  to  come  in  the  near  future, 
that  every  stranger  was  looked  upon  with  awe  and 
suspicion,  as  a  messenger  direct  from  the  Prophet 
himself.  And  so  for  many  years,  after  all  these 
evil  prognostications  had  failed  to  materialize, 
many  of  the  earlier  superstitions  were  so  well 
grounded  into  the  very  nature  of  the  people  of 
Emden,  that  it  required  all  the  great  force  of 
character  of  Robert  Ray  land  to  make  possible  any 
new  departure  in  the  direction  of  a  healthy  moral 
and  intellectual  development  among  them. 

If  Ebenezer's  mind,  up  to  the  time  he  reached 
the  old  inn,  had  been  peaceful  and  tranquil,  it  was 
no  longer  in  that  condition.  Was  there  anything 
in  his  general  appearance  so  changed  or  grotesque 
as  to  mislead  the  old  landlord  into  mistaking  his 
real  identity?  or  had  Oscar's  mind  suddenly  given 
way  under  the  fanatical  strain  which  had  so  often 
tested  the  strength  of  his  own  mental  faculties? 
These  reflections  seemed  to  be  uppermost  in  Ebe- 
nezer's  mind  as  he  jogged  along,  the  observed  of 
all  observers,  with  here  and  there  a  motley  crowd 


Ebenezer  in  the  School-house.  403 

of  idlers,  who  stood  content  with  simply  a  glance 
at  his  stylish  outfit.  He  had  not  proceeded  far 
when  he  was  intercepted  by  an  advance  committee, 
who  assured  him  that  without  his  august  presence 
the  entertainment  was  doomed  to  ignominious 
failure.  This  assurance  of  renewed  confidence  on 
the  part  of  the  committee  caused  him  to  redouble 
his  speed,  and  a  moment  later  he  stood  like  a 
second  Daniel  Webster  beneath  the  old  oak,  his 
mind  concentrated  on  the  momentous  topic  which 
was  to  engross  his  attention  and  that  of  those  who 
had  been  so  anxiously  awaiting  his  appearance. 
Entering  the  old  hoiise  with  that  firm  and  elastic 
step  which  is  always  an  indication  of  self-reliance 
and  assurance,  and  surveying  the  audience  with  the 
dignity  which  age  and  gorgeous  costume  always 
add  to  those  who  are  entrusted  with  the  discharge 
of  some  official  duty,  Ebenezer  allowed  himself  to 
be  escorted  to  the  only  vacant  seat  at  the  head  of 
the  column,  thus  filling  out  the  complement  of 
exalted  literary  personages,  comprising  the  highest 
culture,  the  most  comprehensive  learning  and  the 
broadest  statesmanship  of  Emden's  inhabitants. 

Owing  to  the  delay  at  the  General  Washington, 
the  exercises  were  well  under  way  when  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  arrived,  so  that  in  the  delivery 
of  his  remarks  the  charge  of  plagiarism  could  at 
least  not  in  truth  be  made  against  him.  At  the 
opportune  moment,  Ebenezer  was  conducted  by 
that  noble  personage,  the  Squire,  to  the  centre  of 


404  Nicholas  Comenius 

the  platform,  where  he  stood  for  a  moment  sorely 
perplexed  at  the  formidable  array  of  eyes,  which 
seemed  to  take  in  .'at  one  glance  the  glitter  of  his 
superb  adornments,  bedecked  here  and  there  by 
rows  of  large  brass  buttons,  appropriated  for  the 
occasion  from  an  old  Revolutionary  uniform  and 
polished  by  the  strong  arm  and  nimble  fingers  of 
the  faithful  Nancy. 

While  all  had  noticed  the  change  in  Ebenezer's 
appearance,  how  many  understood  the  bent  of  his 
mind,  or  could  fathom  the  depth  of  his  understand- 
ing ?  Were  his  remarks  to  be  in  keeping  with  his 
outward  demeanor — a  mere  rambling  harrangue 
intended  to  draw  attention  to  himself?  Or  was 
he,  notwithstanding  his  peculiar  and  unbecoming 
costume,  deeply  impressed  with  the  solemnity  of 
the  occasion?  There  could  be  no  mistaking  the 
responsibility  which  he  felt  rested  upon  him,  as  he 
gave  expression  to  the  very  first  sentence : 

"  My  good  friends  and  neighbors,  for  more  than 
sixty  years  I  have  lived  among  the  people  of  Em- 
den  ;  and  yet  sixty  years  is  but  a  span  with  the 
great  chronicler  of  time.  More  than  eighteen 
hundred  years  ago  there  was  decreed  to  the  world 
by  the  greatest  of  all  teachers,  a  new  dispensation ; 
and  while  the  words  of  that  Blessed  Man  of  old 
have  since  fallen  upon  many  cold  and  unwilling 
ears,  the  light  of  His  countenance  has  been  the 
guiding  star  under  whose  divine  inspiration  our 
ancestors,  driven  as  they  were  from  their  homes 


The  President's  Address.  405 

beyond  the  sea,  at  last  found  an  asylum  in  the  New 
World.  Here  in  a  dense  wilderness  they  settled 
more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  and 
built  and  dedicated  to  the  cause  of  religious  free- 
dom, as  they  understood  it,  this  old  sandstone 
structure.  Within  the  sacred  walls  of  this  temple 
of  learning  our  forefathers  and  their  children — 
whose  hearts  were  quickened  by  a  new  hope  of  a 
more  glorious  future — received  their  first  lessons 
from  the  pages  of  the  old  Bible.  From  its  pages 
our  young  minds  were  fed  and  nourished,  and  from 
its  teachings  we  grew  from  youth  into  old  age ; 
accepting  at  all  times  the  very  letter  of  the  text, 
rather  than  its  living  spirit. 

"From  the  time  the  Great  Teacher  first  preached 
the  Sermon  from  the  Mount,  proclaiming  salvation 
to  all  mankind,  the  world  has  had  its  false  proph- 
ets; and  with  our  forefathers,  driven  as  they  were 
from  the  fatherland,  came  these  same  false  teach- 
ers, who  have  ever  since  resided  among  the  plain 
and  simple-hearted  people,  binding  their  hearts 
and  consciences  with  fetters  of  iron.  If  in  our 
quiet  moments  a  bright  ray  of  hope  sparkled  forth 
from  the  pages  of  His  holy  word  and  found  an 
abiding  place  within  our  hearts,  it  was  as  quickly 
dispelled  by  those  whose  mission  among  us  was  to 
expound  the  faith  in  accordance  with  their  own 
narrow  and  imperfect  interpretations.  But  after 
more  than  five  generations  of  bigotry,  superstition 
and  false  teaching,  the  dark  clouds  of  religious 


406  Nicholas  Comenius. 

fanaticism  have  at  last  been  dispersed,  and  to-day 
the  bright  and  glorious  sunlight  of  heaven  shines 
upon  this  little  assembly.  The  dark  and  gloomy 
forebodings  which  hung  over  me  when  I  left  the 
old  farm  no  longer  enshroud  my  vision.  The  little 
episode  which  occurred  at  the  General  Washington 
has  taught  me  that  the  teachings  of  Orlando  Hos- 
kins  and  his  class  are  a  part  of  this  same  false  doc- 
trine, which  has  held  in  subjection  the  hearts  of 
our  people  these  many  years. " 

Then  turning  to  Robert  Rayland,  he  said:  uOne 
short  year  ago  you  came  among  the  conservative 
people  of  this  village  an  entire  stranger.  Then 
the  hand  of  every  man  was  against  you.  We  be- 
lieved in  the  old  system,  in  the  old  minister,  and 
in  the  master,  Jimmy  McCune,  while  you  repre- 
sented a  new  system  and  a  new  faith.  While  the 
old  men  who  are  here  to-day  to  welcome  you  back 
to  their  homes  and  firesides  can  look  deeper  into  a 
ploughed  furrow,  you,  a  much  younger  man,  can 
look  far  deeper  into  the  mysteries  of  the  human 
mind.  While  the  old  Parson  has  held  strictly  to 
the  letter  of  the  text,  and  while  he  has  cast  a 
gloom  over  many  a  fireside  by  keeping  his  little 
flock  in  constant  dread  of  a  calamity  which  was 
sure  to  befall  them  sooner  or  later,  you,  in  your 
plain  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  have  filled 
the  hearts  of  our  boys  and  girls  with  a  deep  love 
not  only  for  their  parents,  but  for  the  new  teacher 
as  well.  There  is,  however,  one  other  who  shall 


The  President's  Address.  407 

ever  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  the 
people  of  Emden.  I  refer  to  Nicholas  Comenius; 
for  it  was  he  who  in  the  darkest  hours  dispelled  the 
clouds  which  hung  over  our  minds,  on  that  beauti- 
ful moonlight  evening  as  we  sat  on  the  porch  over 
at  yonder  farm.  The  words  which  fell  from  the 
lips  of  that  great  and  worthy  disciple  of  the  new 
system  will  ever  have  an  abiding  place  within  our 
hearts. 

4'  And  now,  Robert  Rayland,  allow  me,  on  be- 
half of  the  school  authorities  of  Emden  district, 
and  in  the  name  of  Nicholas  Comenius,  who  has 
been  the  defender  of  this  old  house  these  many 
years,  to  present  to  you  this  old  leather-bound 
Bible,  which  for  so  many  years  has  rested  upon  the 
ancient  mantle-piece.  May  the  inspired  words  it 
contains  be  a  blessing  to  your  little  flock,  and  a 
comfort  and  solace  even  to  the  end  of  time. ' ' 

At  the  close  of  Ebenezer's  speech,  which  was  in 
such  marked  contrast  with  his  outward  appearance, 
a  death-like  silence  prevailed  throughout  the 
assembled  multitude,  to  be  finally  broken  by  Rob- 
ert Rayland,  who  in  a  few  modest,  appreciative 
remarks,  accepted  the  gift,  and  thanked  the  Presi- 
dent for  the  honor  conferred.  Opening  the  old 
Bible,  he  read  a  chapter  in  his  clear,  forcible  man- 
ner, and  after  a  benediction  the  exercises  termi- 
nated, with  the  new  system  firmly  anchored  among 
the  conservative  people  of  Emden  district. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

PARTING  WITH    HANNAH — THE    HOLIDAY  SEASON 

— ORLANDO  BRINGS  MALINDA  TO  SCHOOL — 

ROBERT  DENOUNCES  HIS  DOCTRINES. 

FOR  a  time,  and  until  the  holiday  season  ap- 
proached, Robert  Ray  land  was  monarch  of  all  he 
surveyed  in  the  sandstone  school  at  Emden. 
There  came  a  time  however  when  a  parting  be- 
came necessary ;  not  that  Robert  had  resigned, 
nor  that  the  school  authorities  had  closed  the 
school  "  on  account  of  the  insubordination  of  the 
teacher."  On  the  other  hand,  Robert  was  too 
deeply  interested  in  his  little  flock  to  think  of 
leaving  them,  and  the  directors  were  too  loyal  to 
the  young  teacher  to  question  his  authority.  What 
event  then  had  cast  a  shadow  over  the  little  school 
of  Emden  ?  Why,  at  the  closing  hour  preceding 
the  Christmas  holiday  season,  should  Robert  Ray- 
land  look  sad,  and  the  boys  and  girls  leave  the  old 
school  with  heavy  hearts?  It  was  simply  because 
of  the  announcement  by  Hannah  that  her  school- 
days in  Emden  were  ended,  and  that  she  would 
depart  on  the  first  day  of  the  New  Year,  to  com- 
plete her  education  in  a  distant  Normal  school. 
408 


Hannah's  Last  Week  in  Emden.         409 

If  the  closing  hours  at  the  village  school  were 
sad,  the  intervening  days,  following  Christmas  and 
ending  with  New  Year's  day,  more  than  compen- 
sated for  them  in  social  pleasure.  The  present 
Christmas-tide  was  one  for  which  the  good  people 
of  Emden  had  abundant  cause  to  be  thankful ;  for 
a  kindlier  feeling  and  a  more  generous  hospitality 
prevailed  among  them  than  ever  before.  Had 
there  not  been  a  divided  public  school  sentiment 
only  a  short  year  before,  and  had  not  the  doctrine 
of  Millerism  been  making  deep  inroads  among  the 
pious  people  of  the  village  ?  Now,  however,  with 
an  exception  here  and  there,  peace  and  perfect 
good- will  prevailed,  making  this  Christmas  a  holi- 
day season  in  which  young  and  old  joined  in 
hallowed  enjoyment  of  the  olden-time  simplicity. 

But  above  all,  was  not  this  Hannah's  last  week 
in  Emden?  And  why  should  not  this  in  itself 
have  added  to  the  charm  encircling  each  family 
fireside?  Among  many  doors  of  hospitable  homes 
that  were  thrown  wide  open  to  welcome  the  young 
girl,  that  of  the  Parson's  mansion  was  certainly  no 
exception ;  for  however  bitter  may  have  been  her 
dislike  for  Hannah  and  Robert  Ray  land,  Mrs. 
Orlando  Hoskins  was  too  discreet  and  judicious  in 
her  deportment  to  fail  to  manifest  at  least  an  out- 
ward regard  for  the  civilities  which  the  holiday 
season  demanded.  Besides,  there  was  one  peculiar- 
ity among  the  rural  population  in  those  early  days 
of  simple  manners,  that  atoned  for  a  host  of  imper- 


Nicholas  Comenius. 

factions  and  shortcomings:  for  when  the  Christmas 
season  approached,  the  tongue  of  gossip  was  as 
silent  as  the  graves  over  in  the  old  church-yard. 
Unhappily,  many  of  those  old-time  customs  no 
longer  prevail  among  the  more  educated  and  pros- 
perous people  of  Emden  at  the  present  day. 

At  last  the  first  day  of  the  New  Year  was  ushered 
in,  amid  the  jingle  of  sleigh-bells  and  the  creaking 
sounds  of  ponderous  wheels  of  the  Conestoga 
teams,  on  hard,  frozen  snow.  All  Emden  seemed 
to  be  on  tiptoe  of  excitement,  as  the  boys  and  girls 
hastened  to  join  the  throng  of  saddened  hearts  to 
bid  their  schoolmate  farewell,  as  she  was  wrapped 
in  the  warm  robes  of  the  old  sleigh  en  route  for 
her  distant  school. 

A  few  hours  later,  and  the  observing  visitor  at 
the  old  school  would  scarcely  have  noticed  any 
marked  change,  either  in  the  band  of  little  workers 
or  in  the  appearance  of  Robert  Rayland.  If  away 
deep  in  his  manly  natu-re  there  was  a  feeling  of 
sadness,  he  kept  it  hidden  within  his  own  breast. 
With  the  morning  following,  however,  came  new 
and  unlooked-for  responsibilities.  Robert  had 
scarcely  finished  reading  a  chapter  from  the  old 
leather-covered  Bible  when  the  door  opened,  and 
bowingly  entered  the  tall,  slender  form  of  Orlando 
Hoskins,  and  by  his  side  Malinda,  with  a  half- 
suppressed  smile  upon  her  face,  that  betrayed  the 
satisfaction  she  felt  in  anticipation  of  occupying 
the  seat  vacated  by  Hannah. 


Orlando  Visits  the  School.  411 

Before  Robert  could  recover  from  his  surprise, 
the  old  Parson  began  in  his  most  gracious  and  per- 
suasive manner  to  explain  the  object  of  his  visit. 
Now  it  was  evident  to  nine-tenths  of  the  people  of 
Ernden  that  Malinda  was  the  very  opposite  of  pre- 
possessing, having  inherited  many  of  the  physical 
peculiarities  of  her  father. 

"  I  believe  I  have  the  honor  of  addressing  Mr. 
Rayland,"  hesitatingly  said  Orlando,  as  he  extended 
his  hand,  with  a  peculiar  bending  movement  of  his 
body,  in  the  direction  of  Robert,  who  stood  some 
distance  away,  quietly  surveying  his  distinguished 
visitor.  UI  regret  exceedingly  that  the  Hoskins 
family  has  been  denied  a  more  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  successor  of  the  late  Jimmy  McCune, 
that  Christian  and  scholarly  old  gentleman,  and 
that  you  have  failed  to  give  the  minister's  wife 
that  attention  and  due  respect  which  her  station  in 
the  community  would  seem  to  demand  from  the 
new  teacher.  But  I  am  willing  to  overlook  the 
past,  with  the  assurance  that  in  the  future  our  re- 
lations may  be  more  pleasant  and  profitable.  How- 
ever, as  my  visit  is  purely  one  of  business,  and 
exceedingly  important  at  that,  I  shall  hesitate  no 
longer  in  making  it  known  without  further  cere- 
mony. Allow  me,  therefore,  Mr.  Rayland,  to  in- 
troduce to  you  my  daughter,  Malinda  or  'Malind,' 
as  she  is  more  familiarly  known  over  at  the  parson- 
age. You  will  readily  perceive,  after  a  more  intimate 
acquaintance,  that  Malinda  is  a  girl  of  many  strik- 


412  Nicholas  Comenius. 

ing  and  remarkable  traits  of  character.  That  na- 
ture has  endowed  her  with  a  vigorous  constitution, 
an  open  expression,  and  a  tender  and  harmless  dis- 
position, must  be  admitted  by  all  who  have  had 
the  pleasure  of  an  acquaintance  with  one  so  young 
in  years  and  yet  so  matured  in  all  the  attributes 
which  constitute  the  perfect  female  character.  In 
fact,  she  graduated  under  the  master,  some  two 
years  ago,  in  all  the  branches  except  possibly  the 
dead  languages ;  and  by  a  more  thorough  acquaint- 
ance with  these  most  indispensable  attainments,  in 
addition  to  her  many  personal  accomplishments, 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  she  will  stand  as 
the  leader  of  Emden's  most  intellectual  society. 
Now  if  you  can  give  her  the  seat  recently  vacated 
by  Hannah  Benton,  the  Squire's  daughter,  who  I 
understand  has  been  spirited  away  to  college,  with- 
out any  special  training  or  social  standing  back  of 
her,  I'm  sure  she  wouldn't  mind  assisting  the  larger 
boys  and  girls,  now  and  then,  in  their  studies. 
Yes,  'Malind'  has  always  been  an  uncommonly 
bright  girl,  and  before  she  was  eight  years  old  she 
could  skip  clear  through  the  whole  alphabet  from 
A  to  Z,  and  could  count  from  one  to  one  hundred 
quicker  than  Orlando  Hoskins  could  rattle  off  a 
chapter  from  the  Old  Testament." 

"  To  what  extent  has  your  daughter  pursued  her 
studies  in  the  common  branches?"  inquired  Rob- 
ert, who  up  to  this  time  had  remained  a  silent  ob- 
server. 


Robert  Questions  Malinda.  413 

"  Speak  out,  Malinda,  and  enlighten  the  teach- 
er's mind  on  these  trifling  subjects.  Name  the 
branches  in  their  regular  order,  daughter, "  sug- 
gested Orlando. 

"  IVe  graduated  in  reading  'ritin',  Arithmetic  and 
manners,"  said  Malinda,  in  her  supercilious  tone 
of  voice. 

"  Have  you  ever  studied  Analysis  of  Grammar, 
Rhetoric  and  Composition,  Geography,  History, 
Chemistry,  or  Botany,  or  any  of  the  underlying 
principles  which  constitute  the  foundation  of  a 
thorough  education  ?"  suggested  Robert. 

"  Come,  now,  Mr.  Ray  land, "  said  Orlando,  grow- 
ing impatient  and  gesticulating  with  both  arms, 
udo  not  press  a  young,  diffident  girl  too  severely  on 
the  new-fangled  studies,  that  have  sprung  into  ex- 
istence like  a  bed  of  mushrooms.  Confine  your 
questions  to  the  subjects  in  which  my  daughter  is 
proficient,  and  don't  hurt  her  feelings  at  the  very 
start,  by  straying  off  among  the  doctrines  and  the- 
ories that  the  new  system  has  invented." 

"  So  you  have  graduated  in  Reading,  Writing 
and  Arithmetic?  Well,  as  your  father  suggests,  I 
will  confine  myself  to  those  important  subjects,  and 
will  give  you  a  few  questions  in  arithmetic  in  order 
to  ascertain  your  proficiency  in  that  important 
branch.  If  the  globe  upon  which  we  live  is 
twenty-five  thousand  miles  in  circumference,  what 
is  its  diameter?" 

uHold  on  a  moment,  young  man,  and  don't  be 


414  Nicholas  ComemuS. 

getting  yourself  mixed  up  in  the  Scriptures,  unless 
you  want  the  old  man  to  take  a  hand ;  and  when 
Orlando  Hoskins  gets  started  upon  that  point  he'll 
cut  a  broad  swath  clear  through  the  school.  Con- 
fine yourself  to  the  questions  in  the  old  Arithmetic 
book,  and  don't  be  running  into  Geography  and  the 
like.  Take  my  advice  and  steer  clear  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  don't  be  teaching  any  of  your  false  doc- 
trines around  this  neighborhood.  It  isn't  Malinda 
that's  going  to  admit  that  the  world's  round,  any 
more  than  the  old  Parson,  who  for  more  than 
twenty  years  has  been  knocking  all  such  absurd 
nonsense  clear  out  of  the  heads  of  the  parishioners. 
Malinda,— read  the  tenth  chapter  of  the  book  of 
Genesis  for  the  new  teacher,  and  show  him  how 
you  can  rattle  off  the  big  names  without  skipping 
one. 

"Now,  if  I'm  a  judge,"  continued  Orlando,  uit's 
in  reading  and  pronouncing  the  Scriptural  words 
that  you  make  your  record  and  receive  your  stand- 
ing in  the  school.  Malinda,  by  actual  count,  has 
read  them  through  no  less  than  thirteen  times,  and 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  that  unlucky  number  she'd 
have  broken  the  record.  As  it  is,  the  poor  girl's 
mind  has  been  giving  way  of  late  under  the  strain 
of  trying  to  harmonize  all  the  conflicting  state- 
ments as  you  find  them  scattered  through  the  big 
Book. 

"  Of  course,  '  Malind '  has  had  her  share  of  dis- 
appointments of  late.  In  the  first  place,  a  young 


Malinda  s  Disappointments.  415 

man  coming  into  a  strange  town  don't  always 
know  what's  good  for  him,  and  is  apt  to  go  clear 
through  the  cane  brake  and  get  a  crooked  stick  in 
the  end — understand?  It's  been  my  experience 
ever  since  I  was  a  young  man,  that  the  only  safe 
course  for  any  young  fellow  to  take  is  to  hang 
pretty  close  to  the  Parson's  teachings,  and  to  man- 
age, if  possible,  to  get  accommodations  in  the  min- 
ister's family.  The  truth  is,  and  I  may  as  well 
confess  it,  Malinda  was  a  little  disappointed  that 
the  new  teacher  had  gone  astray  and  fallen  from 
grace ;  but  she  couldn't  help  it,  as  she  has  all  her 
life  been  a  most  tender-hearted  girl." 

At  this  moment  the  attention  of  the  whole 
school  was  directed  toward  Malinda,  who  was  ap- 
parently engaged  in  wiping  the  big  tears  from  her 
eyes  with  a  red  cotton  handkerchief. 

"  But  the  saddest  blow  of  all  to  the  dear  girl," 
continued  Orlando,  "was  the  disappointment  she 
suffered  when  the  Ascension  did  not  occur.  True, 
it  was  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  Orlando,  and  one 
that  cost  him  many  a  follower ;  but  it  was  no  fault 
of  his,  but  of  the  miscalculation  in  the  almanac, 
that  the  prediction  didn't  come  true  to  the  minute. 
Come  now,  dry  your  eyes,  my  daughter,  and  read 
a  chapter  for  the  teacher,  and  show  him  how  you 
can  rattle  off  the  hard  names." 

A  moment  later,  and  Malinda  was  floundering 
among  the  long  list  of  difficult  Scripture  names, 
hesitating  at  this  one  and  almost  choking  at  the 


4i  6  Nicholas  Comenius. 

next,  until  Orlando,  who  by  this  time  had  become 
almost  frantic  with  rage,  attempted  to  extricate  the 
poor  girl  from  her  difficulties.  At  this  most  crit- 
ical juncture,  Robert  interrupted  her  by  saying,  in 
a  kindly  and  yet  determined  tone  of  voice : 

4/  Mr.  Hoskins,  while  I  have  no  doubt  that  you 
have  a  very  exalted  idea  of  your  daughter's  at- 
tainments, I  am  at  the  same  time  of  the  opinion 
that  you  have  very  much  over-estimated  them. 
Yet,  while  my  school  is  somewhat  over-crowded,  I 
shall  be  pleased  to  give  her  a  seat.  It  will  be  nec- 
essary for  her  to  submit  to  the  same  regulations  I 
require  of  all  my  other  pupils.  And  furthermore, 
for  the  present  at  least,  all  thoughts  of  what  you 
term  the  dead  languages  must  be  abandoned. 
Malinda  may  be  well  versed  in  your  peculiar  con- 
struction of  the  Scriptures,  but  the  common  school 
system  recognizes  no  particular  faith  or  doctrine, 
and  rests  upon  the  New  Testament  in  its  broadest 
and  most  comprehensive  construction. 

"L,et  me  here  say  that  I  am  unalterably  opposed 
to  yonr  dogmas  and  doctrines,  and  in  my  individual 
capacity  shall  use  every  fair  means  in  the  future, 
as  I  have  in  the  past,  to  liberate  the  good  people 
of  Emden  from  the  meshes  into  which  you  have 
for  these  many  years  sought  to  entrap  them.  If  it 
should  be  necessary  for  me  to  take  the  stand  pub- 
licly to  denounce  your  false  doctrines,  I  stand 
ready  to  sacrifice  all  that  I  have  to  accomplish  that 
most  desirable  end.  I  therefore  now  serve  warning 


Orlando's  Wrath.  417 

on  you,  to  prepare  to  meet  that  righteous  public 
sentiment  which  sooner  or  later  will  drive  you 
from  the  village  of  Emden ;  and  that  I  cannot  be 
enticed  from  the  straight  and  narrow  path  of  what 
I  conceive  to  be  my  plain  duty,  either  through  the 
soft  words  of  flattery,  or  through  any  other  means 
by  which  you  may  seek  to  retard  my  purpose. n 

At  this  unlooked-for  rejoinder  on  the  part  of 
Robert,  who  stood  erect  in  the  full  strength  of  his 
manhood,  there  was  no  recourse  for  Orlando  ex- 
cept a  hasty  retreat ;  so,  taking  Malinda  by  the 
hand,  he  said  :  "  Young  man,  prepare  yourself  to 
meet  the  wrath  of  Orlando  Hoskins  ;n  then,  bow- 
ing, he  withdrew  from  the  school,  leaving  Robert 
to  pursue  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  at  least  for  a 
time,  unmolested. 

When  the  hour  of  noon  arrived,  the  news  of  the 
encounter  between  Robert  and  the  Parson  spread 
to  every  part  of  the  village,  and  before  the  day  had 
ended  congratulations  began  to  pour  in  on  the 
young  teacher.  Even  the  Squire  and  the  inn- 
keeper were  among  the  first  to  congratulate  him, 
and  to  express  their  satisfaction  that  one  man  at 
least  had  been  found  to  measure  swords  with  the 
old  Parson.  There  was  general  rejoicing  through- 
out Emden  that  the  Rev.  Orlando  Hoskins  had 
been  overthrown,  and  that  the  hour  of  deliverance 
was  at  last  come.  Freedom  of  conscience  from  the 
thraldom  of  bigotry  and  persecution  seemed  at  last 
to  smile  upon  the  good  people  of  Emden.  That 
27 


4i 8  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Orlando  had  met  his  Waterloo  at  the  hands  of  the 
young  teacher  was  accepted  on  all  sides  as  the  be- 
ginning of  the  end.  And  yet,  on  the  other  hand, 
after  the  excitement  of  the  moment  had  subsided, 
Robert  was  not  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  he  might 
have  committed  an  indiscretion;  and  that  there 
was  after  all  a  question  as  to  the  justification  of  his 
course  in  making  an  open  attack  upon  the  old  Par- 
son and  the  cause  he  represented.  That  he  had 
assumed  a  grave  responsibility,  in  striking  at  the 
very  foundation  of  a  religious  creed  whose  adher- 
ents included  not  only  the  Parson's  family,  but 
hundreds  of  others  of  his  blinded  and  devoted  fol- 
lowers, became  more  apparent  as  he  reviewed  the 
situation. 

Orlando  Hoskins  had  been  humiliated  and  mor- 
tified before  the  whole  school,  many  of  whose  boys 
and  girls  were  the  sons  and  daughters  of  his  pres- 
ent and  former  parishioners,  and  he  was  not  the 
man  humbly  to  submit  to  such  a  gross  indignity 
without  an  effort  at  least  to  vindicate  his  self- 
respect.  Not  only  was  self-preservation,  with  Or- 
lando, "the  first  law  of  nature ;"  it  was  a  cardinal 
principle  with  him  never  to  be  attacked  without  a 
return  in  the  same  shape  and  measure.  "  An  eye 
for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth  ' '  was  still  part 
of  his  creed.  He  did  not  believe  in  returning 
good  for  evil.  And  so  he  resolved  to  crush  the 
New  England  school  teacher  and  the  "godless  free 
school  system,"  as  he  termed  it,  at  one  blow,  if  it 


More  Trouble  Brewing.  419 

took  the  whole  power  of  the  church  to  accomplish 
his  purpose.  If  the  deadly  hatred  lurking  in  the 
heart  of  Orlando  found  expression  at  all,  it  was 
confined  to  a  chosen  few  of  his  trusty  adherents. 
The  other  members  of  the  Hoskins  family  were 
even  more  circumspect  and  considerate  in  their 
outward  expressions  than  they  had  ever  been  be- 
fore ;  and  yet  those  who  were  at  all  familiar  with 
the  Parson's  family  were  not  slow  in  reaching  the 
conclusion  that  beneath  this  thin  disguise  there 
was  something  deeper  than  was  apparent  on  the 
surface. 

Even  the  expression  of  Malinda,  instead  of  being 
downcast  and  dejected,  was  that  of  perfect  content- 
ment, as  if  in  anticipation  of  some  event  that  was 
to  startle  all  Emden  from  centre  to  circumference, 
But  the  movements  of  the  old  Parson  were 
shrouded  in  mystery,  even  to  the  inquisitive  minds 
of  the  innkeeper  of  the  General  Washington  and 
his  contingent  of  regulars,  who  were  ever  on  the 
alert  to  gather  and  magnify  every  rumor  afloat 
throughout  the  surrounding  country. 

But  if  amid  the  quiet  that  prevailed,  such  as 
oftentimes  is  the  precursor  of  the  coming  storm, 
there  was  a  lack  of  town  gossip,  the  lull  was  of 
short  duration. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

SHAKY    HOLLOW  —  A    MYSTERIOUS    PROCESSION  — 

ROBERT   DISAPPEARS — ORLANDO.  TRIED    FOR 

KIDNAPING — THE  LOST  IS  FOUND. 

CERTAIN  nocturnal  pilgrimages  of  Parson  Hos- 
kins  on  his  dapper  little  gray  mare  had  caused 
Oscar  Bently  profound  cogitation  as  to  the  proba- 
bility of  some  deep-laid  plot.  It  was  not  however, 
until  exaggerated  rumors  had  reached  the  village 
from  Shaky  Hollow,  that  the  reverend  gentleman 
had  been  seen  in  one  or  more  of  his  midnight 
strolls  in  that  dark  and  secluded  retreat,  that  old 
Oscar  began  to  consider  the  fearful  consequences 
which  might  result  to  the  General  Washington 
should  that  important  personage  issue  another  pre- 
diction. From  certain  signs  upon  which  he  had 
always  relied,  and  which  heretofore  had  never 
failed  him,  he  was  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  that 
new  trouble  was  awaiting  the  good  people  of 
Emden. 

In  the  general  appearance  of  its  surroundings 

and  in  the  peculiar  character  of  its  people,  their 

superstitions    and    habits,    Shaky   Hollow    might 

well    claim    pre-eminence   over  that   other  tradi- 

420 


Orlando  s  Mysterious  Journeys.         421 

tionary  defile  in  the  CatskillSj  known  to  all  the 
world  as  Sleepy  Hollow.  Shaky  Hollow,  even 
during  pre-revolutionary  times,  was  known  far  and 
near  for  its  peculiar  sect  of  Christians,  commonly 
nicknamed  Shaking  Quakers,  from  which  the  spot 
received  its  name.  It  was  among  these  simple  and 
misguided  people  that  Orlando  Hoskins  happened 
to  settle,  before  his  removal  to  the  village  of  Em- 
den,  where  a  broader  field  of  usefulness  seemed  to 
await  him  ;  and  it  was  there  in  the  broad  virgin 
forest  that  he  began  his  missionary  work,  and  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  doctrine  of  Millerism  so 
firmly  that  none  before  Robert  Rayland  had  ever 
had  the  courage  to  question  his  authority.  From 
this  obscure  settlement  Squire  Benton  drew  a  great 
part  of  his  clientage  from  year  to  year,  and  the 
regulars  their  never-failing  supply  of  tales  of 
mystery. 

It  was  drawing  well  on  towards  midnight  of  the 
day  following  the  first  definite  report  of  Orlando's 
pilgrimages  on  these  lonely  by-ways,  that  a  rap 
on  the  door  of  the  old  inn  startled  Oscar  from  one 
of  his  dreamy  meditations.  Entering  the  dusky 
bar-room,  the  traveler,  for  such  he  proved  to  be, 
related  in  graphic  language  how  a  very  strange 
apparition  had  crossed  his  pathway  that  night  in 
the  region  of  Shaky  Hollow.  He  declared  that 
while  strolling  along  through  a  narrow  defile  he 
had  suddenly  encountered  in  the  darkness  a  dozen 
gr  more  riders,  muffled  and  disguised,  guarding  a 


422  Nicholas  Comenius. 

rickety  old  dearborn,  in  front  of  which  rode,  on  a 
little,  shaggy  gray  mare,  a  tall,  gaunt-looking  indi- 
vidual, so  disguised  as  to  preclude  the  possibility 
of  recognition. 

These  startling  words  had  scarcely  been  uttered 
when  the  venerable  Squire,  rushing  into  the  room, 
made  urgent  inquiry  as  to  the  whereabouts  of 
Robert  Rayland. 

As  had  been  his  usual  custom,  Robert  had  gone 
to  the  little  red  sandstone  school-house  during 
the  early  evening  to  pursue  his  studies,  but  thus 
far  he  had  failed  to  return.  That  Robert  Ray- 
land  had  been  kidnaped  and  spirited  away  to  the 
wilds  of  Shaky  Hollow,  amid  the  howling  of  the 
storm  without,  was  at  once  accepted  as  the  only 
reasonable  explanation  of  his  disappearance.  Had 
the  village  been  enveloped  in  flames  the  consterna- 
tion could  scarcely  have  been  greater. 

A  moment  later,  and  the  stubby  form  of  old 
Oscar  might  have  been  seen  standing  beneath  the 
tower  in  which  had  hung  for  so  many  years  a 
heavy  bell,  used  in  days  gone  by  as  a  signal  an- 
nouncing the  arrival  of  many  an  old  stage-coach. 
His  short  but  muscular  arms  were  stretched  up- 
ward, with  hands  grasping  the  greasy  old  rope, 
with  his  body  swinging  backward  and  forward,  as 
the  sounds  of  warning  rang  out  over  all  Emden, 
awaking  both  young  and  old  from  slumbers  such 
as  only  a  clear  conscience  and  a  tired  body  can 
give.  The  contingent  of  regulars,  whose  actual 


Robert  Disappears.  423 

mission  in  life  had  never  before  been  fully  deter- 
mined, now  seemed  for  the  first  time  to  realize  the 
object  of  their  creation,  that  of  scouring  the  wilds 
and  hidden  recesses  of  Shaky  Hollow  in  search  of 
the  missing  Robert  Ray  land. 

Before  the  bright  sun  had  begun  to  cast  his  re- 
fulgent beams  over  the  glistening  snow  and 
through  the  heavy-laden  branches  of  wroodland, 
teeming  with  myriads  of  sparkling  diamonds 
which  the  storm  had  deposited  but  a  few  hours  be- 
fore, as  if  to  make  the  gloom  within  a  perfect  con- 
trast with  nature  without,  all  Emden  was  in  the 
wildest  state  of  confusion.  A  hasty  inspection  of 
the  old  house  seemed  to  furnish  all  the  evidence 
needed  to  warrant  the  conclusion  that  a  dastardly 
crime  had  been  committed  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
village.  Who  the  instigators  of  this  cowardly  out- 
rage were,  whence  they  came,  and  whither  they 
had  conveyed  their  captive,  was  a  problem  the 
solution  of  which  needed  manly  courage  and 
prompt  action.  Before  the  echoes  of  the  old  bell 
had  died  away  among  the  distant  hills,  the  regu- 
lars, headed  by  Oscar  Bently,  were  on  their  way  to 
Shaky  Hollow,  with  a  determination  to  liberate 
the  victim  and  capture  the  perpetrators,  if  strong 
arms  and  brave  hearts  could  accomplish  the  pur- 
pose. 

That  suspicion  from  the  very  first  rested  upon 
Orlando  Hoskins,  was  admitted  on  all  sides,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  he  was  among  the  most 


424  Nicholas  Comenius. 

active  in  rendering  every  assistance  possible,  and 
that  Malinda  and  her  mother  were  loud  in  their 
outward  expressions  of  grief  and  sorrow.  But  not- 
withstanding the  circumstances  connecting  the 
minister  with  the  kidnaping  of  the  young  teacher, 
there  was  one,  and  only  one,  who  amid  the  clamor 
for  speedy  measures  to  convict  and  punish,  stood 
like  a  guardian  angel  in  the  full  strength  of  her 
womanly  nature,  urging  deliberate  counsel  and 
moderation. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  day  the  most  indisput- 
able evidence  came  with  the  return  of  the  search- 
ers. A  shoe  from  the  Parson's  mare  had  been 
accidentally  found  close  to  the  spot  where  the 
stranger  had  seen  the  singular  conveyance ;  also  a 
spur  which  fitted  the  heel  of  the  Parson's  right 
boot ;  besides  numerous  other  proofs  which  in 
themselves  were  sufficient  to  surround  that  un- 
fortunate personage  with  a  network  of  evidence 
from  which  it  seemed  there  was  no  escape.  The 
fact  that,  though  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  he  was  a 
personal  enemy  of  the  young  teacher,  and  had  har- 
bored against  him  the  deepest  resentment ;  even 
the  notion  that  he  was  possessed  of  certain  super- 
natural powers,  combined  to  convict  him  before 
the  bar  of  public  opinion. 

Another  day  passed  with  no  word  of  the  missing 
Robert,  and  as  night  again  approached  the  excite- 
ment became  more  and  more  intensified,  in  antici- 
pation of  the  return  of  the  regulars  ;  and  when  late 


The  Parson  in  Danger.  425 

in  the  evening  the  familiar  voice  of  Oscar  was 
heard,  announcing  another  failure  and  disappoint- 
ment, the  feeling  increased  to  snch  an  alarming 
extent  that  an  additional  guard  became  necessary 
for  the  better  protection  of  the  Parson's  family. 
Even  the  Squire's  wife  came  in  for  a  share  of 
abuse,  for  attempting  to  defend  or  shield  the  sinful 
old  false  prophet.  But  to  all  such  remarks  she 
would  simply  reply  in  her  own  quiet  way  : 

"  Yes,  yes,  he  may  be  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing, 
and  he  may  have  spirited  away  our  beloved  teacher ; 
but  only  last  night  I  had  a  deep  and  startling  pre- 
sentiment. In  the  vision  which  passed  before  me, 
I  beheld  Robert  lying  helpless  among  strangers, 
whither  he  had  wandered  alone  in  the  darkness  of 
night.  And  yet  this  strange  apparition  may  have 
been  caused  by  his  sad  and  careworn  expression  as 
he  started  in  the  direction  of  the  old  school-house. 
Orlando  may  be  guilty,  and  if  so  he  deserves  the 
full  penalty  the  law  may  inflict ;  but  until  you  have 
proof  positive  and  direct,  judge  not  too  harshly." 

While  these  words  of  wisdom  fell  from  the  lips 
of  Mother  Benton,  addressed  to  the  group  of  angry 
and  excited  men  who  had  met  to  consult  with  the 
Squire  in  reference  to  the  advisability  of  organiz- 
ing a  vigilance  committee,  for  the  ostensible  pur- 
pose of  stringing  up  the  Parson  to  the  nearest  limb 
of  the  old  oak  as  a  warning  to  all  future  evil-doers, 
the  motley  crowd  which  had  gathered  around  the 
General  Washington,  in  anticipation  of  some  posi- 


Orlando  on  Trial.  427 

live  information  concerning  the  whereabouts  of 
Robert,  had  become  by  this  time  a  savage  mob, 
waiting  only  for  some  courageous  spirit  ready  to 
lead  the  way.  At  last,  as  a  compromise,  charges 
were  preferred  against  Orlando  for  kidnaping,  and 
against  Malinda  and  her  mother  for  complicity  in 
the  crime ;  and  the  trial  of  the  defendants  was  de- 
manded without  further  delay. 

If  the  crowd  of  faces  without  bore  evidence  of  the 
deepest  anxiety,  those  within  the  Squire's  office 
were  affected  to  even  a  greater  degree.  On  one 
side  sat  the  Board  of  School  Directors  of  Emden, 
headed  by  Ebenezer,  the  President,  and  several 
prominent  citizens  who  had  been  summoned  to 
attend  as  witnesses ;  while  on  the  opposite  side 
were  Orlando,  Malinda  and  her  heart-stricken 
mother.  In  the  centre  of  the  group  stood  the 
dignified  Squire,  whose  countenance  indicated  con- 
flicting shades  of  feeling,  alternating  from  the 
most  poignant  grief  and  despair  to  doubt  of  his 
own  ability  to-  administer  justice  in  so  important 
a  matter,  in  accordance  with  the  law  and  the 
evidence. 

Having  heard  the  testimony  for  the  complain- 
ants, which  seemed  to  point  unmistakably  to  the 
guilt  of  the  defendants  on  the  charge  of  kidnaping 
and  spiriting  away  into  the  wilds  of  Shaky  Hollow 
the  missing  teacher,  the  Squire  adjusted  his  spec- 
tacles, and  after  a  protracted  research  through  a 
half-dozen  authorities,  announced  that  he  had  de- 


428  Nicholas  Comenius. 

cided  to  commit  Orlando  Hoskins  for  trial  at  court, 
and  would  proceed  to  prepare  the  necessary  papers. 

While  all  eyes  were  riveted  upon  the  defendants, 
who  sat  with  bended  heads  and  shattered  hopes, 
the  proceedings  were  temporarily  interrupted  by 
the  sound  of  carriage  wheels,  halting  at  the  door 
of  the  Squire's  office.  A  moment  later,  and  the 
severe  expression  on  the  faces  of  the  assembled 
crowd  changed  to  one  of  speechless  astonishment, 
when  a  tap  at  the  door  ushered  into  their  midst  the 
living  form  and  presence  of  Robert  Rayland.  If 
an  apparition  from  another  world  had  risen  from 
the  floor  beneath  their  feet,  it  could  not  have  pro- 
duced a  more  startling  effect.  It  was  only  when 
the  familiar  tones  of  Robert  fell  upon  their  bewil- 
dered ears,  that  they  fully  realized  that  it  was  not 
a  supernatural  but  a  natural  phenomenon,  whose 
meaning  was  about  to  be  explained  by  the  central 
figure  of  the  strange  drama. 

After  expressing  a  deep  regret  that  he  had 
figured  in  a  role  which  had  disturbed  the  peace 
and  quietude  of  the  people  among  whom  he 
labored,  and  whom  he  had  learned  to  hold  in  pro- 
found esteem,  Robert  began  his  story,  assuring 
them  that  he  alone  must  be  held  responsible  for 
his  strange  disappearance;  that  he  only  must  be 
blamed  for  any  errors  made,  or  suspicions  created, 
in  the  excitement  which  his  singular  absence 
would  naturally  produce  in  the  community. 

"I  am  extremely  anxious,"  he  continued,  uin  as 


The  Lost  is  Found.  429 

few  words,  and  as  far  as  possible,  to  explain  my 
movements  for  the  past  few  days.  For  some  time 
before  I  made  my  last  visit  to  the  old  school-house, 
I  was  suffering  from  an  acute  attack  of  insomnia, 
superinduced  by  the  pressure  of  worry  and  over- 
work. My  nerves  were  wrought  up  to  the  highest 
tension ;  at  times  an  excruciating  pain  would  seize 
my  head  that  would  make  it  throb  like  a  trip- 
hammer, and  for  the  moment  arrest  and  suspend 
the  current  of  my  thoughts.  I  stood  up  bravely 
against  this  insidious  foe,  and,  with  the  aid  of 
reason  and  common  sense,  expected  in  time  to 
allay  the  excitement  and  recover  my  usual  health. 
But  the  rush  of  work,  combined  with  worry 
brought  on  in  great  measure  by  the  fatal  and  far- 
reaching  influence  upon  young  and  old  of  the 
fanatical  teachings  of  a  doctrine  which  in  its  very 
essence  is  at  variance  with  the  ordinary  facts  of  life, 
were  too  much  for  my  enfeebled  strength.  I 
needed  rest  and  change  of  scene  to  rally  my 
strength,  but  foolishly  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  de- 
mands of  an  abused  and  protesting  system. 

u  On  the  evening  I  last  went  to  the  school-house, 
I  was  suffering  from  severe  and  protracted  neural- 
gia. When  I  reached  the  school- room  the  pain 
became  so  violent,  the  very  atmosphere  grew  so 
hot  and  oppressive  that  it  seemed  like  a  flame  of 
fire.  In  an  agony  of  pain  I  rushed  out  of  the  room 
to  drink  in  the  cool  air,  like  a  man  famishing  for  a 
drink  of  water.  The  delirious  craving  for  fresh 


430  Nicholas  Comenius. 

air  carried  me  farther  and  farther  away  from  the 
old  house  ;  finally  I  lost  consciousness  of  my  per- 
sonal identity,  yet  kept  on  rushing  over  fields  and 
woods.  My  strange  conduct  at  last  attracted  the 
attention  of  a  good  man  who  kindly  took  me  into 
his  house,  and  under  the  sedative  influence  of  rest 
and  gentle  nursing  I  regained  my  powers  of  mind 
and  soon  established  a  chain  of  connection  between 
my  situation  at  the  home  of  my  friend  and  my 
former  self.  To-day  I  felt  strong  enough  to  make 
the  ten-mile  drive — the  distance  I  had  wandered 
from  Emden — and  with  the  exception  of  fatigue 
and  a  general  weakness  incident  to  my  strange  ex- 
perience, I  feel  that  the  crisis  of  my  peculiar  con- 
dition has  been  passed. n 

Pen  fails  to  picture  the  scene  which  followed  the 
words  that  fell  from  the  lips  of  Robert  Rayland, 
but  it  will  ever  be  held  in  remembrance  by  those 
who  witnessed  it,  and  transmitted  from  father  to 
son  until  it  is  finally  stored  in  the  archives,  along 
with  the  many  other  traditions  which  have  cast  a 
halo  around  the  simplicity  of  rural  life  in  the  olden 
time. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

ROBERT  VINDICATES  ORLANDO — THE  PARSON'S  RE- 
CANTATION— THE  FADED  FLOWER  OF  SHAKY 
HOLLOW — PEACE  AND  GOOD-WILL. 

HESITATING  for  a  moment,  as  if  under  some  se- 
vere mental  restraint,  Robert  suddenly  turned,  and 
grasping  the  aged  Parson  firmly  by  the  hand,  said 
in  a  clear,  unfaltering  tone  of  voice :  "  However  I 
may  have  been  impressed  at  the  time  by  the  un- 
happy occurrences  which  took  place  in  the  old 
stone  school-house,  prior  to  my  singular  and  mys- 
terious disappearance,  justice  demands  that  I 
should  declare  you,  before  all  present,  innocent  of 
the  crime  with  which  you  stand  charged. " 

Then  Orlando,  raising  his  bended  form,  and  fully 
realizing  the  unfortunate  position  in  which  he  had 
been  placed,  replied:  uWith  heart  overflowing 
with  the  deepest  anguish  and  humiliation,  conse- 
quent upon  the  unfortunate  position  in  which  I  am 
here  placed  to  answer  the  charge  of  one  of  the 
highest  and  most  ignominious  crimes  known  to 
the  law,  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  offer  any  evidence 
in  my  own  behalf.  The  living  presence  and  the 
clear  and  forcible  statement  of  the  one  alleged  to 


43 2  Nicholas  Comenius. 

have  been  spirited  away  to  the  wilds  of  Shaky 
Hollow,  are  before  you  as  my  vindication.  That 
the  circumstantial  evidence,  confirmed  apparently 
by  my  seemingly  strange  conduct  and  repeated  ab- 
sences from  Emden,  prior  and  subsequent  to  the 
sudden  disappearance  of  Robert  Rayland,  pointed 
unmistakably  to  my  guilt,  would  hardly  seem  to 
admit  of  a  doubt.  And  yet,  notwithstanding  the 
intense  feeling  manifested  on  all  sides,  I  have 
never  doubted  for  a  moment  that  the  time  would 
come,  sooner  or  later,  when  my  innocence  would 
be  fully  established.  But  the  many  severe  trials 
through  which  I  and  my  grief-stricken  family  have 
so  recently  passed,  have  opened  to  our  hitherto  be- 
nighted vision  a  new  hope  and  the  realization  of  a 
brighter  future. 

"  I  started  in  life  fully  conscious  of  the  innumer- 
able blessings  in  store  for  a  mind  ever  on  the  alert 
to  grasp  every  moral  and  religious  opportunity  in 
the  great  struggle.  For  years  I  kept  in  the  straight 
and  narrow  path  of  a  pure  and  simple  faith,  turn- 
ing neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left ;  but  as  time 
rolled  on  I  ceased  to  be  a  meek  and  lowly  laborer 
in  the  vineyard  of  the  Blessed  Saviour,  and  relying 
upon  my  own  strength,  set  myself  up  as  the  ex- 
pounder of  a  doctrine  in  direct  conflict  with  the  in- 
spired words  of  that  Blessed  Book,  which  in  my 
early  years  I  learned  to  love  and  venerate  at  the 
footstool  of  a  sainted  mother.  These  sad  words, 
falling  as  they  do  from  the  lips  of  an  old  man 


Orlando  s  Story.  433 

tried  in  the  balance  and  found  wanting,  are  but 
introductory  to  a  confession  I  am  about  to  make  to 
you,  and  to  the  hundreds  of  misguided  victims  who 
for  so  many  years  have  been  my  devoted  followers  ; 
many  of  whom  would  neither  sow  nor  reap,  nor 
allow  others  to  cultivate  the  soil,  resting  content 
to  await  the  disappointment  which  followed  my 
unfulfilled  predictions. n 

Deeply  moved  by  his  own  strange  deliverance, 
Orlando  continued:  " Many  years  ago,  when  filling 
a  lucrative  position,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
confidence  of  a  thrifty  congregation  in  a  well 
settled  community,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to 
spend  my  summer  vacations  among  the  cascades 
of  the  Highlands.  It  was  while  returning  from 
one  of  these  delightful  annual  pilgrimages  that  I 
unfortunately  fell  in  with  the  founder  and  ex- 
pounder of  the  doctrine  of  Millerism,  William 
Miller,  'the  prophet.'  After  conversing  for  a  time, 
and  listening  in  breathless  astonishment  to  his 
most  extraordinary  exposition  of  the  fulfilment  of 
the  prophecy  of  Daniel,  he  handed  to  each  of  his 
hearers  a  small  pamphlet,  entitled  c  The  Midnight 
Cry.'  After  carefully  reading  its  contents  and 
pondering  the  same  alone  in  my  quiet  moments, 
something  seemed  to  whisper  to  my  inward  soul : 
'Go,  tell  it  to  all  the  world.' 

uFrom  that  moment  I  was  no  longer  satisfied 
with  my  pure  and  simple  faith.  I  returned  to  my 
flock  and  cheerfully  resigned  my  position  as  their 
28 


434  Nicholas  Comenius. 

pastor,  and  became  a  wanderer  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  I  believed  and  faithfully  proclaimed  on 
highway  and  byway  that  Jesus  would  appear  a 
second  time  in  the  year  1843  ^n  ^e  clouds  of 
Heaven ;  that  he  would  raise  the  righteous  dead, 
and  judge  them  together  with  the  righteous  living, 
who  would  be  caught  up  to  meet  Him  in  the  air ; 
that  he  would  purify  the  air  with  fire,  causing  the 
wicked  and  all  their  works  to  be  consumed  in  the 
general  conflagration,  and  would  shut  up  their 
souls  in  the  place  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels :  that  the  saints  would  live  and  reign  with 
Christ  on  the  new  earth  a  thousand  years  ;  that 
then  Satan  and  his  wicked  spirits  would  be  let 
loose  and  the  wicked  dead  be  raised — this  being  the 
second  resurrection — and  being  judged,  should 
make  war  upon  the  saints,  be  defeated  and  cast 
down  into  hell  forever. 

"  If,  for  many  years,  during  the  lifetime  of  Miller 
himself,  I  was  doomed  to  adversities  and  disap- 
pointments, after  his  death  I  continued  the  work, 
making  numerous  predictions  which  likewise  one 
after  the  other  failed  to  come  to  pass.  It  was 
among  the  innocent  and  unsuspecting  residents  of 
Shaky  Hollow  that  I  at  last  found  an  abiding- 
place;  removing  in  due  course  of  time  to  this  vil- 
lage of  Emden,  where  for  years  I  have  industriously 
striven  to  implant  in  the  hearts  of  its  people  the 
doctrine  of  'The  Midnight  Cry.'  At  times  my 
own  disappointment  was  so  great  as  to  almost 


Orlando's  Story.  435 

sha.ke  m}7  faith  in  the  ultimate  fulfillment  of  its 
prophecies ;  but  with  an  obstinacy  born  of  fanati- 
cism, I  continued  to  battle  against  my  better 
judgment. 

"  It  was  during  the  several  nights  preceding  and 
succeeding  the  stormy  night  in  which  Robert  Ray- 
land  so  mysteriously  disappeared  from  the  old 
stone  school-house  that  the  saddest  event  of  my  life 
occurred,  in  a  low  thatched  cottage  among  the 
pines  and  cedars  of  Shaky  Hollow.  The  world 
may  never  care  to  know,  and  from  the  lips  of 
Orlando  Hoskins  shall  never  learn  the  true  story 
which  has  led  to  my  return  to  the  pure  and  simple 
faith  of  my  early  days.  But  as  calamities  are 
oftentimes  blessings  in  disguise,  conveying  to  the 
very  depths  of  the  soul  the  lesson  that  '  as  ye  sow 
so  shall  ye  reap,7  this  double  affliction  may  yet 
prove  to  be  the  frail  bark  destined  to  convey 
Orlando  Hoskins  and  his  sorely-stricken  family 
through  the  rolling  billows,  over  which  these  many 
years  he  has  been  sailing  devoid  of  either  rudder 
or  compass,  and  in  the  end  to  bring  them  safely  to 
the  Rock  of  Ages,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  waves. 

"  And  now,  standing  as  I  do  before  this  assembly 
of  my  former  friends  and  neighbors,  I  hereby  re- 
nounce every  letter  and  syllable  of  a  doctrine  con- 
ceived in  iniquity  and  in  league  with  the  devil  and 
his  angels.  Let  judge  and  jury  bear  witness  to 
this  confession;  and  may  these  solemn  words  be 
conveyed  to  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  and  even 


436  Nicholas  Comenius. 

to  the  remotest  corner  of  Shaky  Hollow,  where 
yet  dwells  many  a  deluded  follower  of  Orlando 
Hoskins." 

At  this  trying  moment,  when  all  eyes  were  riv- 
eted upon  the  penitent  old  minister,  the  trampling 
of  feet  without,  followed  by  the  creaking  of  the  old 
door  on  its  rusty  hinges,  attracted  the  attention  of 
those  who  sat  within  the  old  mansion.  Another 
moment,  and  the  portly  form  of  Oscar  Bently 
pressed  its  way  into  the  centre*  of  the  group.  A 
momentary  glance  at  his  outward  appearance  was 
sufficient  to  indicate  the  severe  strain  through 
which  he  had  passed  in  his  forty  hours'  search  in 
the  wilds  of  Shaky  Hollow.  That  he  had  made 
important  discoveries  was  noticeable  at  a  glance, 
but  whether  in  the  minister's  favor  or  against  him 
could  only  be  determined  by  hearing  his  story. 

Oscar's  statement  was  substantially  as  follows: 
Having  lost  his  way  the  evening  previous,  he  was 
compelled  to  put  up  for  the  night  at  a  cabin  at  a 
cross-road  leading  to  one  of  the  many  caverns 
which  during  the  seven  years'  struggle  for  Inde- 
pendence had  sheltered  hundreds  of  deserters  from 
the  Hessian  army.  Entering  this  lonely  habita- 
tion, and  making  inquiry  as  to  the  missing  Robert 
Rayland,  Oscar  was  impressed  with  the  melancholy 
appearance  of  the  inmates — one  of  whom  he  recog- 
nized as  none  else  than  old  Patrick  McDeever, 
the  master,  the  other  his  grief-stricken  and  broken- 
hearted helpmate.  After  partaking  of  a  scanty 


The  Flower  of  Shaky  Hollow.          437 

meal,  a  seat  was  offered  him  in  one  corner  of  the 
stone  fire-place,  where  for  some  time  he  sat,  vainly 
endeavoring  to  enlist  his  unhappy  host  and  hostess 
in  conversation,  hoping  thereby  to  elicit  something 
definite  with  reference  to  his  important  mission. 
For  a  time  the  only  words  uttered  were  those  of 
gentle  reproof  to  three  ill-dressed  and  half-fed 
urchins  that  lay  half-concealed  from  view  on  the 
floor  in  an  opposite  corner  of  the  old  cabin,  uncon- 
scious of  the  mutterings  of  the  storm  without,  or 
the  guests  within. 

But  as  the  long  moments  rolled  by  in  silence 
Oscar's  anxiety  and  suspense  increased,  until, 
pressing  the  old  schoolmaster  for  some  explanation 
of  the  deep  gloom  which  seemed  to  rest  upon  their 
hearts,  he  learned  the  melancholy  story  from  the 
lips  of  old  Patrick,  which  has  since  become  a 
household  legend  among  the  simple-minded  people 
of  Shaky  Hollow,  to  be  repeated  and  enlarged 
upon  as  it  passes  in  tradition  from  generation  to 
generation.  After  replenishing  the  fire,  and  draw- 
ing himself  into  closer  proximity  to  his  welcome 
guest,  Patrick  related  in  simple,  yet  forcible  lan- 
guage, this  story  of  a  broken  heart : 

"It  is  not,"  said  he,  " of  old  Patrick  himself, 
and  the  trials  through  which  he  has  passed  as  the 
discarded  master  of  Shaky  Hollow  school,  that  I 
would  speak ;  but  of  the  loss  of  Myra,  our  only 
daughter,  the  Flower  of  Shaky  Hollow. 

"  From   her  childhood   Myra,  a  lovely  maiden 


438  Nicholas  Comenius. 

of  unusual  intelligence,  and  the  hope  and  mainstay 
of  her  devoted  mother,  had  become  infatuated  with 
the  prophetical  teachings  of  the  Rev.  Orlando 
Hoskins,  who  many  years  ago  settled  among  our 
people.  Within  the  little  church  whose  gray  out- 
lines may  be  seen  from  the  window  of  the  old 
cabin,  when  the  November  blasts  have  driven  the 
dead  leaves  from  the  forest  trees,  Myra,  when  but  a 
mere  child,  was  deluded  by  the  old  Parson's  per- 
suasive appeals.  As  time  wore  on,  and  as  Or- 
lando's predictions  failed  to  come  to  pass,  the  disap- 
pointment of  her  ardent  hopes  and  longing  desires 
began  to  prey  upon  both  mind  and  body,  and  it  be- 
came evident  that  her  end  was  not  far  distant. 
Her  dying  request  was  once  more  to  meet  the  old 
Parson  face  to  face,  having  in  her  last  peaceful 
hours  awakened  to  the  happy  realization  of  a  new 
and  undying  hope  of  a  blessed  hereafter,  whose 
foundation  rested  not  upon  the  teachings  of  a  per- 
nicious theory,  but  upon  the  blessed  Saviour  and 
Him  crucified. 

"  Night  after  night  Orlando  stood  by  the  bedside 
of  the  dying  girl,  over  in  yon  corner  where  the  lads 
lie  huddled  together,  returning  to  his  home  in 
Emden  before  sunrise.  Though  the  Parson  was 
gentle  and  kind,  and  resorted  to  every  means 
within  the  power  of  his  faith  to  rally  the  faded 
flower  of  the  mountain  defile  to  health  and 
strength  all  his  promises  of  speedy  recovery  were 
powerless  to  revive  her  energies. 


Death  of  My r a.  439 

u  During  his  last  visit,  it  was  evident  that  upon 
his  own  conscience  were  resting  grave  responsi- 
bilities. That  he  had  lost  confidence  in  his  own 
ability  to  restore  the  poor  girl  to  life  through  any 
one  of  his  rnany  miraculous  faith-cures,  was  ap- 
parent to  those  who  sat  by  her  side;  while  the 
faith  of  Myra  in  a  higher  Power  shone  forth 
resplendent  as  her  young  life  fast  ebbed  away.  At 
last,  rising  to  a  half-sitting  posture,  and  taking  the 
hand  of  the  Parson  in  her  own,  and  looking  straight 
into  his  eyes,  she  said  in  a  sweet  calm  voice : 

"'  Orlando  Hoskins,  as  the  expounder  of  a  reli- 
gious faith  these  many  years  I  have  known  thee, 
worshiping  with  bended  knee  at  thy  ministrations, 
but  henceforth  I  know  thee  not.  The  salvation 
that  has  come  to  Myra  is  not  of  thy  faith,  nor  of 
thy  teachings;  it  rests  with  me  at  this  moment, 
like  the  sweet  perfume  of  heaven,  falling  upon  the 
just  and  the  unjust — upon  your  heart,  as  well  as 
upon  my  own.  Before  I  close  my  eyes  in  peace, 
and  pass  to  my  Maker  and  Redeemer,  I  ask  you,  as 
my  last  dying  request,  to  accept  this  blessed  faith. 
I  beseech  you  to  abandon  your  false  doctrines,  and 
accept  salvation  from  the  lips  of  one  who  for  so 
many  years  accepted  without  a  murmur  your  false 
teachings  under  the  guise  of  religion.  Promise  me 
to  fulfil  my  last  parting  request.  Will  you?' 

"  And  as  the  last  words  of  the  dying  girl  fell  to 
a  whisper  Orlando  replied,  'With  God's  help,  I 
will.' 


Burial  of  Myra.  44 1 

"As  Myra's  wish  was  that  she  should  be  laid  to 
rest  the  day  following,  on  the  highest  point  of  the 
mountain  pass,  a  plain  coffin  was  hastily  con- 
structed, and  at  the  hour  of  noon  the  earthly  re- 
mains of  the  Flower  of  Shaky  Hollow  were  con- 
veyed in  the  old  dearborn  to  their  resting  place.  It 
was  a  sad  picture.  On  each  side  of  the  hearse  rode 
a  body-gnard  of  my  nearest  neighbors  and  friends, 
while  in  front,  leading  the  way,  sat  Orlando  on  his 
gray  mare.  Hour  after  hour  we  mournfully  wended 
our  way,  passing  but  a  single  lonely  traveler.  The 
shades  of  night  were  falling  when  we  discovered  to 
our  surprise  that  we  had  lost  our  way,  and  were  com- 
pelled to  retrace  our  steps.  And  so  we  laid  Myra 
to  rest  on  the  craggy  heights  of  the  mountain  sum- 
mit as  the  full  moon  came  into  view. 

"This  is  the  story  of  Myra,  the  bright-eyed, 
light-hearted  girl,  the  flower  of  our  flock,"  sighed 
old  Patrick  as  he  raked  together  the  half-dead 
coals:  "  Go,  my  friend,  and  tell  it  to  all  the  world, 
that  Myra,  my  only  daughter,  died  a  Christian,  and 
that  Orlando  Hoskins  has  been  re-converted  to  the 
same  pure  and  simple  faith. " 

At  the  conclusion  of  Oscar's  plain,  straight- for- 
ward statement,  Orlando  Hoskins  simply  bowed  in 
humble  acquiscence;  the  Squire  of  course  declared 
the  aged  minister  innocent,  and  dismissed  the  com- 
plaint. In  the  general  reconciliation  which  fol- 
lowed, and  which  ultimately  extended  to  the  re- 
motest depths  of  Shaky  Hollow,  deeply  impressed 


442 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


with  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  Mary  Benton 
stepped  to  the  center  of  the  room,  and  with  one 
hand  upon  the  head  of  Robert  and  the  other  on 
that  of  Orlando,  said:  "May  the  blessing  of  God 


"  BI.KSSED   ARK  THK   PEACEMAKERS. " 

rest  upon  you  both,  and  may  the  angel  of  peace 
forever  hover  over  Emden  and  its  people. n 

And  at   parting  all  joined   in  the  pledge  that 
thenceforth  peace  should  reign  in  Emden, 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE    OLD    SCHOOL-HOUSE    DESERTED — ROBERT    IS 

WANTED  ELSEWHERE — HANNAH  AS  TEACHER — 

MAY-DAY  FESTIVAL — THEIR  WEDDING. 

THREE  long  winters  had  come  and  gone  since 
the  reconciliation  between  teacher  and  Parson  so 
happily  consummated  in  the  office  of  Theophilus 
Benton;  and  Time,  the  relentless  destroyer  of 
wind-flower  and  violet,  wild  rose  and  golden  rod, 
had  been  reaping  rich  harvests  among  young  and 
old. 

On  a  bleak  November  day,  amid  naked  woods 
and  meadows  brown  and  sere,  old  Patrick,  the 
last  of  the  discarded  masters,  was  laid  to  rest 
beside  his  Myra,  the  child  of  the  forest,  at  the  top 
of  the  mountain  pass;  and  close  by  the  moss- 
covered  church,  in  the  old  grave-yard  beside  Jim 
and  Tim,  peacefully  rest  the  last  earthly  remains 
of  Ebenezer  Lukins,  the  venerable  President  of 
Emden  school  board.  While  here  and  there  other 
notable  changes  affecting  the  material  prosperity 
of  Emden  district  were  noticeable,  the  red  sand- 
stone school-house  now  stood  as  forsaken  as  the 
deserted  fortress  beyond.  No  sweet,  soft  voice  of 

443 


444  Nicholas  Comenius. 

gladness  came  from  within;  no  gay  peals  of 
laughter  nor  tread  of  merry  feet  broke  in  upon 
the  breathless  silence.  Though  the  genial  sun- 
light of  Heaven  still  found  its  way  through  the 
small  windows,  it  fell  upon  empty  benches,  cheer- 
less walls  and  high-topped  desk,  beneath  th.e  raised 
lid  of  which  the  old  master  was  wont  betimes  to 
bury  his  head  as  if  in  deep  meditation  over  the 
solution  of  some  vexed  and  intricate  problem, 
which  the  key  to  old  Emerson  (always  securely 
hidden  within)  was  sure  to  supply,  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  the  unconscious  youth  who  stood  in 
waiting  by  his  side,  amazed  at  the  power  of  his 
intellect  and  the  fertility  of  his  resources;  but  the 
little  brood  of  happy  workers  had  flown.  Last 
first  of  December  morning  one  and  all  had  bidden 
the  old  house  a  last  farewell,  and  following  Robert 
Rayland,  entered  for  the  first  time  the  cozy,  well- 
equipped  modern  structure,  bearing  the  superscrip- 
tion, "Emden  School." 

In  these  words  engraved  on  the  stone  lintel, 
there  may  be  nothing  suggestive  to  the  professional 
teacher  of  to-day,  whose  eyes  are  often  dazzled  by 
the  beauty  and  the  stateliness  of  architectural  de- 
sign displayed  wherever  the  blessings  of  the  free 
school  system  have  been  most  largely  felt  and  the 
broadest  school  sentiment  prevails.  But  for  months 
thereafter,  the  results  of  the  efforts  of  Robert, 
though  devoid  of  ostentatious  display,  were  felt 
and  appreciated  even  beyond  Emden  district. 


Closing  Exercises.  445 

With  gentle  rains  and  early  spring  flowers  came 
the  end  of  the  long  winter  term  of  the  village 
school  of  Emden.  Every  preparation  had  been 
made  by  willing  hands  and  anxious  hearts  to  ren- 
der the  parting  of  the  teacher  from  his  pupils  and 
patrons  one  long  to  be  remembered.  To  close  the 
school  with  appropriate  exercises,  in  which  the 
boys  and  girls  should  participate,  had  never  before 
been  the  practice  in  Emden.  And  what  a  beauti- 
ful conception  these  closing  exercises  are  !  How 
they  have  grown  with  each  succeeding  year  and 
strengthened  with  the  growth  of  the  system  itself, 
leaving  the  imprint  of  the  teacher  indelibly  im- 
pressed upon  the  tender  hearts  of  the  young  ! 
Years  may  come  and  years  may  go,  but  these  little 
episodes  at  the  end  of  the  school  term  will  ever  re- 
main among  the  brightest  and  most  touching  of 
early  childhood.  While  at  the  opening  of  the 
school  there  may  be  a  certain  satisfaction,  mingled 
with  anxiety  in  anticipation  of  meeting  the  new 
teacher  and  playmates,  the  hour  of  parting  has  a 
peculiar  significance  of  its  own. 

It  is  at  the  moment  when  the  sad  word  u  Fare- 
well, "  falls  from  the  lips  of  the  teacher,  that  the 
lad  forgetting  his  real  or  imaginary  resentments, 
steps  forward,  and  placing  his  hand  in  that  of  the 
teacher,  hesitates  a  moment,  and  then  in  an  apolo- 
getic tone  says:  "I  know  I  haven't  been  doing 
what  was  right,  and  I  haven't  obeyed  more  than 
half  the  rules  of  the  school ;  but  I'm  awfully  sorry, 


446  Nicholas  Comenius. 

teacher,  and  I  hope  you'll  forgive  me.  I  had  such 
a  heavy  feeling  against  you  when  I  came  to  school 
this  morning  that  I  never  thought  I  could  even  say 
good-bye  ;  but  it's  all  gone,  and  if  you'll  promise 
to  return  next  winter,  I'll  promise  you  right  before 
the  whole  school,  that  I'll  never  break  another 
rule  as  long  as  I  live." 

Forgive  him?  Of  course  you  forgive  him  ;  and 
in  after  years,  when  you  see  him  manfully  holding 
up  his  end  of  the  world's  work,  memory  will  carry 
you  back  to  the  closing  exercises  of  that  little 
school,  where  the  lad,  now  a  man,  so  frankly  con- 
fessed:  "  Teacher,  I  know  I  haven't  been  doing 
what  was  right." 

And  so  one  after  the  other,  from  the  rosy-faced, 
bright-eyed  girl  of  eight  to  the  bashful  lad  of  fifteen, 
looks  up  in  his  face,  bids  him  a  fervent  good-bye, 
and  then  passes  homeward. 

In  his  address  upon  the  ending  of  his  fifth  term 
as  teacher  of  the  village  school,  Robert  paid  a 
glowing  tribute  to  the-  memory  of  Old  Jimmy,  for 
so  many  years  his  predecessor  in  the  old  stone 
house ;  recounted  the  hardships  through  which,  in 
their  latter  days,  the  other  old  masters  had  passed; 
reviewed  the  past,  with  its  sunshine  and  clouds  of 
adversity;  paid  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Ebe- 
nezer  Lukins,  the  School  Board's  venerable  Presi- 
dent ;  and  at  the  same  time  admonished  them  to 
remember  that  from  Him  above  all  good  things 
come. 


A  Mysterious  Message.  447 

As  he  ceased  speaking,  a  sealed  envelope  was 
placed  in  his  hand.  Breaking  the  seal  and  glanc- 
ing over  its  contents,  he  stood  for  a  moment  half 
bewildered.  There  was  a  flutter  in  the  little  as- 
sembly, the  knowing  older  heads  began  nodding 
backward  and  forward  in  a  quizzical  manner,  and 
a  sly  wink  of  the  Squire's  eye  indicated  that  he 
had  guessed  the  contents  of  the  epistle. 

"You  see,"  continued  Nicholas,  as  he  drew 
toward  the  end  of  his  story,  "it  was  by  putting 
this  and  that  together  that  the  Squire  was  able  to 
understand  the  workings  of  old  Jimmy's  mind 
when  things  weren't  running  along  very  smoothly 
over  in  the  old  stone  house  ;  and  he  wasn't  to  be 
caught  napping." 

And  so,  while  the  teacher  was  looking  around 
over  the  school,  with  big  tears  in  his  eyes,  the 
Squire  said  in  a  confidential  manner  to  the  school 
trustees  who  sat  beside  him : 

"I'll  bet  the  best  copy  of  Blackstone  ever 
printed  that  the  Professor's  fortune  is  sticking 
right  inside  of  that  epistle;  and  so  he  may  just  as 
well  relieve  his  conscience  and  make  a  clean  breast 
of  the  whole  business,  for  it  will  come  out  sooner 
or  later,  anyway.  You  see,"  he  continued,  with 
one  eye  on  the  teacher,  while  the  point  of  his  finger 
was  directed  from  one  to  the  other  of  the  trustees, 
"it's  by  cultivating  the  observing  faculties  that 
you  get  inside  of  whatever' s  going  on,  and  can 
discount  the  newspapers  two  to  one;  for  if  you 


44§  Nicholas  Comenms. 

keep  your  mouth  shut,  and  your  eyes  and  ears 
open,  you  can  always  manage  to  catch  on  to  the 
best  things,  which  for  some  reason  or  other  never 
get  into  print.  It's  all  right  to  cultivate  the  mem- 
ory, but  take  my  advice  and  stick  to  the  observing 
faculties;  they'll  carry  you  through  life  with  less 
worry  of  mind  and  body  than  all  the  figures  ever 
taught  in  Emden  school  since  arithmetic  was  in- 
vented. You  see  when  the  shingles  of  Solomon's 
Sloan's  barn  began  to  flare  up  like  the  bark  of  the 
old  shell-bark  tree,  I  just  kept  on  observing  and 
smiling;  but  when  the  posts  of  his  rail  fence  went 
down  as  if  they'd  been  buried  in  a  snow-drift,  I'd 
point  to  the  'Long  Lost  Friend'  and  say:  4The 
fellow  that  never  observes,  but  persists  in  follow- 
ing the  perversity  of  his  own  crooked  nature, 
deserves  no  better  luck.' 

u  And  now  I  tell  you,  gentlemen  of  the  School 
Board  of  Emden  district,  you  may  just  as  well  put 
your  heads  together  and  begin  to  look  for  another 
teacher  for  Emden  school;  for  either  there's  a 
fortune  lurking  within  that  message  for  the  young 
master,  or  else  there's  a  wasting  away  of  Theophilus 
Benton's  observing  faculties,  which  up  to  this  time 
haven't  shown  any  disposition  to  part  company 
with  the  old  man." 

Robert  also  felt  that,  however  inclined  to  reti- 
cence, it  would  be  useless  longer  to  withhold  from 
his  friends  what  they  had  already  grasped  by  intui- 
tion. "It  becomes  my  duty,"  said  he,  uto  make 


Robert  is  Promoted.  449 

known  to  you  all  the  contents  of  the  message 
which  was  unexpectedly  handed  me  but  a  moment 
ago.  To  one  whose  mission  in  life  has  been  to 
labor  within  the  narrow  limits  of  the  school  among 
the  vine-clad  hills  and  valleys  of  beautiful  Emden, 
the  unexpected  announcement  that  duty  has  called 
him  to  a  broader  field  of  usefulness  has  a  deep  sig- 
nificance. I  should  no  longer  withhold  from 
friends  true  and  dear  the  announcement  that  I, 
who  here  stand  before  you  for  possibly  the  last 
time,  have  been  chosen  to  fill  a  responsible  position 
in  a  distant  state. n 

If,  in  after  years,  the  stern  realities  of  life,  with 
their  responsibilities  and  the  rewards  of  higher  in- 
tellectual development,  tended  to  chill  and  harden 
Robert  Rayland's  emotional  nature,  his  thoughts 
would  wander  back  to  the  scenes  of  his  early 
labors,  where  he  was  sure  to  find  consolation, 
recreation  and  inspiration  under  the  branches  of 
the  majestic  oak,  beneath  which  long  years  before 
sat  the  eight  old  masters,  as  the  words:  "  All  appli- 
cants for  schools  in  Emden  district  will  please 
occupy  the  benches  along  the  wall,  facing  the  ex- 
aminer, "  fell  chillingly  upon  their  ears.  And  how 
those  other  words,  uttered  by  a  simple  school-girl, 
" Teacher,  are  you  looking  for  the  inn?  Come, 
and  I  will  direct  you,"  would  throb  through  his 
soul,  as  his  mind's  eye  took  in  the  broad  expanse 
of  country  and  the  moss-covered  church  in  whose 
old  graveyard  Jim  and  Tim  are  peacefully  resting. 
29 


450  Nicholas  Comenius. 

A  week  after  the  closing  exercises  of  the  village 
school,  Robert  was  energetically  engaged  in  the 
duties  of  the  new  position  in  his  far-distant  home. 
While  his  scholarship  and  the  purity  of  his  charac- 
ter had  never  been  questioned,  there  were  those 
who  now  began  to  look  into  the  early  history  of 
young  Robert  Rayland.  It  soon  became  known 
that  while  he  had  received  his  education  in  New 
England,  his  birth-place  was  a  small  hamlet  along 
the  base  of  the  South  Mountain,  a  village  of  some 
importance  as  a  manufacturing  centre  of  army 
supplies  during  the  Revolutionary  times.  We 
mention  Robert's  birth-place  as  an  historical  inci- 
dent, rather  than  from  any  desire  to  reflect  upon 
that  large  class  of  professional  instructors  from 
New  England  soil,  who,  immediately  after  the 
adoption  of  the  new  system,  had  found  a  fruitful 
field  for  their  labors  in  many  other  States,  and  to 
whom,  unlike  their  predecessor,  the  Yankee  school- 
master of  thirty  years  before,  the  appellation  of 
u  Schoolmaster  Abroad  n  could  not  with  propriety 
be  applied.  Most  of  those  young  educators  were 
cast  in  a  mould  entirely  different  from  that  of  the 
wandering  itinerants  of  the  preceding  generation, 
whose  mission  it  was 

"To  stroll  and  teach  from  town  to  town." 

These  young  men  were  trained  especially  for  the 
life  of  the  educational  pioneer,  in  its  most  compre- 
hensive sense.  Wherever  they  went  their  influ- 


Robert  is  Promoted.  45 1 

ence  strengthened  the  system,  so  that  at  last,  when 
steps  were  taken  to  organize  Normal  schools,  hun- 
dreds to  the  manner  born  flocked  thereto  from  all 
directions.  Country  lads,  under  the  influence  of 
trained  instructors,  began  to  realize  their  own  abil- 
ity, when  better  equipped  by  Normal  training,  to 
fill  positions  of  importance,  and  soon  supplied  the 
demand  for  professional  instructors  largely  from 
the  immediate  vicinity.  In  fact,  the  numbers  who 
have  attended  the  various  Normal  schools  within 
the  past  forty  years  are  perhaps  the  best  evidence 
as  well  as  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the 
success  of  our  system  of  education.  Every  profes- 
sion and  business  has  among  its  numbers  those 
whose  early  years  were  spent  within  the  walls  of  a 
Normal  school.  They  may  have  long  since  de- 
serted the  teacher's  calling  to  engage  in  other  more 
profitable  avocations  of  life,  and  in  so  doing  may 
have  lowered  the  standard  of  the  teaching  profes- 
sion; but  their  influence  and  inspiration,  in  addi- 
tion to  their  force  of  character,  have  been  an 
element  of  strength  to  the  system  wherever  support 
was  needed. 

If  the  withdrawal  of  Robert  temporarily  cast  a 
gloom  over  the  village  of  Emden,  it  was  of  short 
duration;  for  with  rapid  strides,  the  village  school 
took  a  high  place  among  its  sisterhood  of  schools. 
Over  them  the  sweet  influence  of  womanhood 
began  to  assume  dominion;  and  among  them  she 
will  ever  continue  to  wield  the  sceptre  of  love  and 


452  Nicholas  Comenius. 

affection.  Five  years,  to  older  people,  were  as 
a  fleeting  shadow;  but  to  the  young  hearts  who  on 
that  New  Year's  morn  had  bidden  farewell  to 
Hannah,  as  she  was  wrapped  in  the  robes  of  the 
old  sleigh-coach  which  was  to  convey  her  far  from 
friends  and  old  associations,  these  years  had  an  in- 
expressible meaning.  How  many  of  her  young 
friends,  now  grown  into  womanhood  and  manhood, 
could  then  have  foreseen  the  return  of  Hannah, 
years  later,  as  the  successor  of  Robert  Rayland  in 
the  village  school  of  Emden? — not  arrayed,  how- 
ever, as  their  young  minds  had  so  often  pictured 
her,  in  silks  and  satins,  but  adorned  with  the 
graces  of  true  womanly  character. 

If  the  transition  from  master  to  teacher,  as  ex- 
emplified in  the  reform  which  had  substituted  for 
a  Jimmy  McCune  a  Robert  Rayland,  was  as  com- 
plete as  it  was  sudden,  the  induction  of  Hannah 
into  the  village  school  at  this  critical  period  was 
the  final  step  in  advance,  which  was  to  assure  the 
perpetuity  of  the  system  itself.  And  so  when 
Hannah  carried  with  her  into  the  school  of  Emden 
the  results  of  a  thorough  Normal  training,  it  sent  a 
thrill  of  renewed  hope  through  the  hearts  of  the 
supporters  of  the  new  system — a  hope  that  the  hour 
of  emancipation  had  at  last  come,  in  which  the 
true  worth  of  young  womanhood  was  to  be  felt  and 
recognized  in  every  school  district  of  the  state.  It 
was  not  that  any  immediate  advantages  were  to 
accrue  to  the  village  school  in  the  high  standard  it 


Hannah  as  a  Teacher.  453 

had  already  attained  under  Robert  Rayland,  but 
rather  in  the  establishment  of  a  principle — the 
recognition  of  woman  as  a  factor  in  the  teaching 
force  of  the  State  at  large.  Hannah  Benton  at  that 
early  day  was  but  the  representative  of  a  type  of 
young  women  claiming  recognition  all  over  the 
Com inon wealth.  Their  numerical  strength,  which 
at  the  adoption  of  the  system  was  but  an  insignifi- 
cant factor  of  the  whole,  has  since  assumed  the 
proportion  of  nearly  three  to  one. 

It  is  not  to  be  presumed  that  Hannah,  accom- 
plished as  she  was,  would  be  permitted  to  enter  the 
duties  of  her  calling  without  opposition.  Although 
following  methods  wherein  perfect  discipline  lay  at 
the  very  foundation  of  success,  there  were  those 
who  were  ever  ready  to  predict  her  failure.  If 
Robert  spared  the  rod,  it  was  not  that  he  did  not 
possess  the  physical  ability  to  apply  it,  should  it 
become  necessary  to  do  so.  Hannah,  on  the  other 
hand,  still  a  mere  girl  in  the  eyes  of  many,  was 
possessed  of  no  such  reserve  of  physical  force  ;  and 
even  yet  it  was  considered  almost  suicidal  to  en- 
trust the  unruly  elements  of  the  neighborhood  to 
those  who  could  not  swing  the  birch  rod  with  the 
strong  arm  of  a  backwoodsman.  In  fact,  at  the 
present  day,  in  districts  remote  from  the  centres  of 
population,  the  rights  of  woman  are  discriminated 
against  for  the  avowed  reason  that  the  strong  arm 
of  a  male  teacher  is  considered  absolutely  necessary 
to  the  success  of  the  school 


454  Nicholas  Comenius. 

Another  sort  of  opposition  came  from  a  class  of 
school-ma'ams  whose  methods  were  still  like  those 
of  the  pedantic  old-time  masters  who  yet  held 
sway  in  adjoining  districts,  and  who  were  ever  on 
the  alert  to  join  hands  with  their  gentler,  if  not 
younger  co-workers,  in  holding  up  the  village  girl 
to  scorn  and  ridicule.  The  confidence  and  sym- 
pathy existing  between  these  schoolmistresses  and 
schoolmasters  were  at  times  something  peculiarly 
touching  to  behold.  Whenever  occasion  offered, 
these  old-timers,  "  birds  of  a  feather,"  would  flock 
together  to  defend  and  uphold  the  system  of  the 
old  masters,  with  a  tenacity  of  purpose  which  com- 
pelled the  wonder,  if  not  the  admiration,  of  the 
advocates  of  progress. 

"  But  when,  with  the  advent  of  Normal  train- 
ing, the  various  synonyms,  master,  pedagogue, 
tutor,  instructor,  professor,  were  united  under  the 
comprehensive  term  of  Teacher,  which  includes 
them  all,"  here  commented  Nicholas,  u  it  was  no 
longer  a  question  of  age,  long  service  or  former 
conditions.  It  was  the  survival  of  the  fittest  in 
the  teacher's  calling,  as  it  has  ever  been  in  all 
other  departments  of  life,  and  as  it  will  continue 
to  be  to  the  end  of  time  ;  and  so  the  old  master  and 
mistress  of  by-gone  days  fell  by  the  wayside,  and, 
like  Jim  and  Tim,  were  laid  to  rest  with  the 
happy  consciousness  of  duty  well  performed.  Of 
many  of  them  it  might  truthfully  be  said  :  4  Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant, '  " 


UNIV 
\ 

Five  Years'  Changes. 

Five  more  years  .had  made  further  changes  in  the 
life  of  Hannah  Benton,  the  unpolished  diamond 
of  a  few  years  before.  Then  her  daily  life  lay 
within  the  limits  of  the  village  school  and  her  own 
pleasant  homestead;  since,  she  had  risen  to  the 
head  of  one  of  the  leading  seminaries  in  a  distant 
city.  Following  in  her  footsteps,  a  number  of  her 
former  schoolmates  had  taken  a  course  in  Normal 
training,  and  were  later  engaged  as  teachers  in  the 
schools  of  the  district. 

As  a  result  of  the  deep  impression  made  upon  his 
mind  and  heart,  the  Rev.  Orlando  Hoskins  had  be- 
come an  ardent  advocate  of  popular  education,  and 
as  if  to  atone  for  his  previous  shortcomings,  had 
entrusted  Malinda  to  the  care  of  a  matronly  lady  in 
charge  of  a  young  ladies'  college,  from  which  she 
had  graduated  and  subsequently  opened  in  the 
village  a  select  school  for  young  girls. 

Squire  Benton,  or  "The  Squire  "  as  he  was  still 
familiarly  known,  then  and  for  many  years  there- 
after led  the  life  of  a  retired  gentleman.  His 
opinions  on  all  knotty  and  conflicting  law  points 
were  never  grudgingly  withheld  from  his  successor, 
who  had  read  law  under  his  personal  supervision, 
and  who  has  since  been  reaping  a  name  and  fame 
in  another  commonwealth.  While  Mrs.  Benton, 
during  these  years,  had  of  course  grown  older,  she 
was  still  the  same  dignified  woman.  Her  features 
seemed  to  grow  more  beautiful  as  the  wrinkles  of 
time  impressed  themselves  upon  her  forehead, 


456  Nicholas  n  Comenius. 

And  now,  dear  reader,  our  story  draws  near  its 
end.  At  Emden,  on  a  beautiful  May  morning, 
the  sun  seems  to  shine  as  it  never  shone  before  on 
the  hearts  of  young  and  old,  without  a  cloud  to 
dim  the  azure  of  the  heavens  above,  or  cast  a 
shadow  over  the  dreams  of  those  below.  But  why 
this  grand  ovation,  this  meeting  and  greeting,  this 
clamor,  this  hurly-burly,  as  rider  after  rider,  with 
fair  maiden  perched  behind,  hurriedly  presses  his 
way  toward  the  village  green?  Why  all  these 
venders  of  cakes,  bonbons  and  small  beer,  lining 
both  sides  of  the  roadway?  And  the  aged  Parson! 
What  impels  him  to  hurry  to  and  fro  through  the 
village  on  his  little  gray  mare,  marshaling  into 
line,  here  and  there,  a  stray  horseman  ?  Why  is 
everybody  dressed  in  the  brightest  of  colors,  with 
nosegay  on  coat  or  bosom  ?  What  has  come  over 
the  dreams  of  Oscar  Bently  and  the  regulars  of  the 
General  Washington  ? 

Why  should  the  moss-covered  church  and  the 
ancient  parsonage,  and  even  the  old  school-house, 
be  decorated  with  evergreens  and  wild  honey- 
suckles? Ah,  it  is  the  revival  of  an  old  and  cher- 
ished custom — the  May-day  festival — the  last  sur- 
vival of  the  holiday  festivities  held  in  out-of-the- 
way  towns  and  villages,  years  ago,  when  every 
house  put  on  a  holiday  garb — when  the  farmer 
laid  aside  his  plow,  the  schoolboy  his  books,  and 
when  business  of  every  kind  gave  way  to  merry- 
making and  enjoyment.  But  how  many  yet  living 


Wedding  Under  the  May  Pole.         457 

can  recall  this,  the  last  of  Emden's  time-honored 
customs,  or  the  merry  scenes  of  that  lovely  May 
morning,  when  fresh  from  the  craggy  heights  of 
Shaky  Hollow  came  the  May-pole,  loaded  upon 
the  strongest  wagon  in  all  the  country  round? 

"Ah,  my  young  friends, "  said  Nicholas,  "how 
it  thrills  the  old  man's  heart  when  he  recalls  to 
mind  that  picture  never  to  be  forgotten  ?  There, 
along  through  the  village,  came  the  wagon,  with 
its  thirty  oxen,  each  with  a  nosegay  tied  to  its 
horns,  and  the  wagon  and  pole  decorated  with 
ribbons  and  flowers;  and  upon  it  sat  Hannah 
Benton  and  Robert  Rayland,  the  former  to  be 
honored  and  crowned  by  the  multitude  as  May 
Queen,  and  afterward  both  to  be  made  one  in  the 
holy  bonds  of  matrimony  by  the  Rev.  Orlando 
Hoskins." 

Dear  reader,  is  your  sensitive  nature  shocked, 
and  have  the  two  objects  of  your  admiration  fallen 
in  your  estimation?  Can  you  imagine  "the  pro- 
prieties "  which  would  justify  two  cultured  people 
entering  into  the  sacred  bonds  of  matrimony  amid 
such  scenes  of  confusion  in  an  out-door  promis- 
cuous gathering  at  the  present  day?  Be  not  too 
hasty,  my  over-fastidious  friend.  The  impropriety, 
if  such  it  be,  lies  not  in  the  customs  which  pre- 
vailed in  the  good  old  days  of  simplicity  of  rural 
home  life,  but  rather  in  the  degeneration  of 
modern-day  habits  and  morals.  Robert  Rayland 
was  neither  over-fastidious  nor  over-elated  with  the 


s 

2 


W 

w 


W 

p 

fe 

o 
g 

S 

Q 


* 


Wedding  Under  the  May  Pole.         459 

honors  that  had  been  thrust  upon  him.  His  early 
training  had  placed  no  barrier  between  himself  and 
the  common  people.  If  anything,  it  had  broad- 
ened his  nature  and  taught  him  what  many  young- 
students  since  have  failed  to  comprehend,  that  fine 
clothes  and  a  few  years  of  higher  educational  facil- 
ities make  neither  a  Lincoln,  a  Clay  nor  a  Webster. 
He  may,  it  is  true,  have  failed  in  the  modern 
theory  of  earning  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of  his 
father's  or  his  grandfather's  brow. 

But  while  the  reader  may  be  indulgently  inclined 
to  overlook  the  indiscretion  of  Robert,  upon  what 
principle  of  modern-day  etiquette,  they  will  ex- 
claim, can  the  gentler  sex  justify  Hannah  Benton, 
an  accomplished  teacher,  even  at  that  early  day, 
being  perched  upon  an  improvised  country  convey- 
ance, bedecked  with  wild  flowers  and  evergreens, 
first  to  be  crowned  the  May  Queen,  and  then  to 
become  the  wife  of  Robert  Rayland  ? 

u  Yes,  dear  reader, n  concluded  the  aged  Come- 
nius,  uout  on  the  village  green,  under  the  May- 
pole and  close  by  the  moss-covered  church,  where 
now  rest  in  grateful  remembrance  Ebenezer  Lukins, 
the  Squire,  Jim  and  Tim,  and  almost  beneath  the 
branches  of  the  old  oak,  occurred  that  event,  which 
Nicholas  Comenius  will  never  tire  of  rehearsing 
while  he  lingers  among  the  living.  Here,  amid 
the  peals  of  the  old  church  bell,  on  that  lovely 
morning,  surrounded  by  young  and  old,  Robert 
and  Hannah  gave  their  hands  and  hearts  each  to 


460  Nicholas  Comenius. 

the  other,  as  the  aged  Parson  repeated  the  beautiful 
and  solemn  words,  ( Robert  Rayland,  wilt  thou 
have  this  woman,  Hannah  Benton,  to  be  thy 
wedded  wife?  Wilt  thou  love  and  honor  her  so 
long  as  ye  both  shall  live?'  Repeating  the  like 
questions  to  Hannah,  he  pronounced  them  man 
and  wife;  following  with  the  words:  'The  Lord 
bless  and  keep  you,  Amen.' 

UA  moment  later  the  solemn  service  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  burst  of  joyful  merry-making,  though 
a  tear  trickled  down  the  faces  of  some  older  people 
who  looked  upon  the  face  of  Orlando  Hoskins  as 
he  kissed  the  bride  and  shook  the  hand  of  Robert 
Rayland.  Impressive  as  the  scene  had  been,  it 
was  rendered  doubly  so  when  Malinda  and  her 
mother  made  their  way  through  the  crowd  and 
congratulated  the  young  couple,  wishing  them 
many  years  of  happiness  and  prosperity. 

u  It  was  only,  however,  when  Mother  Benton,  in 
her  quiet,  unassuming  manner,  stepped  forward 
into  the  centre  of  the  little  circle,  that  those  pres- 
ent began  to  feel  and  realize  the  unseen  power 
through  which  the  bright  sunlight  of  education 
had  dispelled  the  dark  clouds  of  ignorance  and 
superstition  which  for  two  generations  had  held 
the  minds  and  consciences  of  the  good  people  of 
Emden  in  subjection.  ( All  honor  to  Mary  Benton, 
and  may  her  spirit  of  love  and  good-will  continue 
to  permeate  every  domestic  fireside,'  came  the 
voices  of  one  and  all,  as  they  scattered  to  join  in 


Peace  and  Good  Will.  461 

the  festivities  which  only  a  May-day  celebration 
could  produce. 

"As  the  last  faint  glimmer  of  the  descending 
sun  began  to  disappear  through  the  shades  of 
Shaky  Hollow,  one  after  the  other  bade  adieu  to 
the  last  scene  of  Emden's  May-day  festivities,  to 
seek  their  own  firesides,  leaving  Robert  and 
Hannah  to  spend  the  days  of  their  honeymoon 
among  kind  friends  and  old  associations. " 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

PREPARING  TO  LEAVE   NICHOLAS — STRANGERS  AR- 
RIVE— NICODEMUS    ESCORTS    THEM — THEIR 
IDENTITY  REVEALED — CONCLUSION. 

IT  was  well  toward  noon  on  the  day  following 
that  Thanksgiving  ever  to  be  remembered  with 
gratitude,  that  we  took  our  last  stroll  through  Em- 
den  town,  preparatory  to  our  return  to  witness  the 
closing  exercises  of  possibly  the  most  successful  in- 
stitute ever  held  in  the  metropolis  of  Blackwell 
county.  Every  effort  had  been  made  that  time 
and  money  could  command,  to  give  the  closing  ex- 
ercises such  standing  and  dignity  as,  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  young  Superintendent,  were  best 
calculated  to  ensure  hearty  co-operation  and  har- 
mony among  the  great  body  of  teachers  and  the 
public  at  large.  The  lecturer  for  this,  the  final 
session,  had  been  secured  at  great  expense ;  and 
being  an  ex-United  States  Senator  from  one  of  the 
great  belt  of  States  lying  beyond  the  Mississippi, 
it  was  but  natural  to  suppose  that  his  presence 
would  attract  more  than  the  average  attention. 

ult  is  hardly  to  be  supposed, n  said  Nicholas,  as 
we  stood  face  to  face  with  one  of  the  many  old 
462 


Forty  Years  Later.  463 

landmarks  yet  prominent  among  the  new  condi- 
tions, "that  very  striking  changes  would  be  notice- 
able in  Emden  town,  since  forty  years  ago,  when 
Robert  Rayland  taught  the  village  school,  except 
possibly  in  that  steady  growth  of  intellectual  de- 
velopment that  had  its  origin  under  the  inspiration 
of  the  young  teacher.  Yes,  forty  years  have  rolled 
by  since  Robert  bade  farewell  to  one  and  all." 

u  And  never  once  returned  to  the  old  town,  with 
its  early  associations ?"  we  asked. 

uYes,  once,  but  'twas  many  years  ago,  while 
Mother  Benton  still  lived.  Then  it  was  my  pleas- 
ure to  take  Hannah  and  the  young  master  by  the 
hand  for  the  last  time,  as  they  stepped  into  the  old 
stage-coach  for  their  distant  home.  But  I  have 
never  lost  hope  during  all  the  years  since,  that  the 
love  he  bore  the  old  town  would  one  day  reassert 
itself,  and  that  Robert  would  once  more  long  for 
the  hillsides  and  valleys  of  beautiful  Emden. 
Singular  as  it  may  seem,"  continued  Comenius, 
"  the  programme  for  this  very  evening's  entertain- 
ment bears  the  name  of  a  Senator  Rayland,  and 
only  a  week  ago  the  Postmaster  received  a  letter 
post-marked  Washington,  D.  C.,  asking  whether 
the  little  red  sandstone  school-house  was  still  stand- 
ing beneath  the  venerable  oak  as  it  stood  forty 
years  ago.  Of  course  there  may  be  nothing  in 
these  coincidences,"  added  Nicholas,  as  though  try- 
ing to  formulate  some  rational  connection  between 
these  facts. 


464  Nicholas  Contemns. 

44  True  enough,  my  venerable  friend,  but  the 
name  of  the  lecturer  for  the  evening  happens  to  be 
Ryland  instead  of  Ray  land — only  a  slight  dissimi- 
larity in  the  spelling, "  we  suggested. 

u  Yes,  yes,  but  the  change  of  a  letter  or  two  has 
often  changed  the  ownership  of  a  landed  estate,  as 
I  have  discovered, "  came  the  retort  as  Nicholas 
stepped  into  the  post-office,  leaving  us  for  the  time 
to  pursue  our  sight-seeing  alone. 

As  we  reached  the  old  town  pump  our  attention 
was  attracted  by  the  presence  of  Nicodemus,  who 
was  earnestly  engaged  in  a  spirited  conversation 
with  several  elderly  gentlemen  and  a  matronly  lady 
of  perhaps  sixty,  who  had  alighted  from  a  handsome 
coach  in  front  of  the  old  inn  only  a  moment  before. 

"  Ah,  ha,n  exclaimed  Nicodemus,  as  he  grasped 
the  hand  first  of  one  and  then  of  the  other,  with 
the  freedom  that  only  the  presidency  of  a  collegiate 
institute  could  inspire;  uglad  to  welcome  to  Em- 
den  soil  strangers  with  daughters  to  educate!  Not 
another  institution  in  the  land  that  affords  better 
facilities  for  the  proper  care  and  training  of  young 
ladies  than  Emden  Seminary.  Step  right  across 
the  way,  Madam,  and  I'll  introduce  you  to  Ma- 
linda,  the  matron,  the  only  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
Orlando  Hoskins,  who  many  years  ago  held  forth 
in  the  ivy-covered  parsonage  down  by  the  old 
church:" 

"Malinda,  did  you  say?"  suggested  the  gentle- 
man, with  a  slight  tremor  in  his  voice. 


Nicodemus  and  the  Visitors.  465 

u  Yes;  the  poor  girl  had  her  own  trials  and  mis- 
fortunes in  her  younger  days,  but  they've  all  been 
a  blessing  in  disguise.  Disappointed,  you  see,  in 
her  early  love  affairs  ;  but  experience  has  proven 
that  these  disappointments,  especially  if  they  come 
during  early  years,  always  insure  discipline  and 
stability  of  character  in  one's  after  life. 

44 1  am  sorry  to  be  compelled  to  confess  to  the 
president  of  a  young  ladies'  seminary  that  my  own 
family  consists  of  four  grown  boys,  instead  of  an 
equal  number  of  girls,"  said  the  lady,  with  a  smile 
and  a  blush,  as  preparations  were  being  made  to 
re-enter  their  comfortable  carriage. 

44  Sorry  to  hear  it,  madam,  but  maybe  it's  all  for 
the  best.  Won't  be  any  danger  of  their  running 
away  with  a  young  schoolmaster,  as  was  the  case 
with  Hannah,  the  eldest  of  Squire  Benton's  four 
daughters." 

44  Squire  Benton  ! — and  is  the  Squire  still  a  resi- 
dent of  the  town?" 

44 Why,  bless  you,  no!  After  Hannah  left  the 
village,  the  Squire  died  of  a  broken  heart,  and 
Mother  Benton  followed  soon  after.  In  fact, 
strangers,  there  aren't  any  of  the  old  residenters 
living  except  old  Nicholas  Comenius,  long  ago 
Superintendent  of  Blackwell  county;  and  the  only 
companion  that's  left  him  is  the  little  red  sand- 
stone school-house  down  near  by  the  village  green, 
under  the  great  oak.  Seems  that  the  old  house, 
with  the  thoughts  of  the  old  master  Jimmy,  and 
30 


466  Nicholas  Comenius. 

his  worthy  successor  young  Robert  Rayland,  who 
many  years  ago  married  Hannah  Benton,  the 
Squire's  daughter,  have  been  keeping  the  old  man 
as  fresli  and  green  as  the  old  oak  tree  itself.' ' 

41  Can  you,  my  friend,  direct  us  to  the  old  school- 
house  ?"  said  the  elderly  gentleman. 

"Come  this  way,  only  a  short  distance  to  the  old 
structure/'  said  Nicodemus,  as  he  led  the  way, 
only  too  willing  to  lend  his  aid  to  those  who  he 
had  reason  to  feel  might  in  the  end  say  a  good 
word  for  the  most  worthy  institution  which  he  had 
the  honor  to  represent  as  its  president.  And  so 
through  the  streets  of  Emden  Nicodemus  con- 
ducted the  visitors  to  the  little  red  sandstone 
school-house,  followed  at  a  safe  distance  by  Stephen 
Smithers  and  Teddy. 

A  moment  later  Nicholas  rejoined  us,  uncon- 
scious of  the  episode  that  had  occurred  almost 
within  his  hearing.  What  a  strange  combination 
of  circumstances !  Who  could  the  strangers  be? 
Could  that  elderly  gentleman  be  Robert,  or  Senator 
Rayland,  the  lecturer  of  the  evening?  Could  there 
have  been  simply  an  error  in  the  spelling  of  the 
name  !  Could  the  matronly-looking  lady  be 
Hannah  Benton,  whose  young  image  the  aged 
father  had  so  indelibly  impressed  upon  our  minds? 
Had  Nicodemus,  in  his  enthusiasm,  lost  the 
shrewdness  for  which  he  had  been  noted  from  the 
day  he  first  entered  the  village?  What  apology  or 
amends  could  the  old  man  make  -for  the  apparent 


The  Lost  are  Found.  467 

insult  to  Robert  and  Hannah,  if  such  they  should 
ultimately  prove  to  be?  But  aside  from  the  pecu- 
liar position  in  which  Nicodemus  had  placed  him- 
self, how  should  we  break  the  startling  discovery, 
if  such  it  were,  to  Nicholas  Comenius?  Or  had  we 
only  imagined  we  had  seen  Robert  and  Hannah? 

To  dismiss  the  little  drama  from  our  mind  was 
perhaps  after  all  the  very  best  to  be  done  under  the 
circumstances.  And  so  from  one  point  of  interest 
to  another  we  proceeded  to  wend  our  way,  until 
the  hour  of  noon  once  more  found  us  under  the 
roof  of  the  hospitable  Comenius,  arranging  for  an 
early  afternoon  departure  for  the  county  town. 
We  had  almost  forgotten  the  occurrence,  when  a 
rap  at  the  door  of  the  old  homestead  startled  Nich- 
olas from  the  reverie  into  which  he  had  fallen; 
and  a  moment  later  in  stepped  Nicodemus,  as  pale 
as  a  sheet  and  trembling  from  head  to  foot. 

"  Nicholas!  Nicholas!"  cried  Nicodemus,  "  the 
lost  are  found!  yea,  verily,  the  dead  have  been 
restored  to  life!" 

"  Nicodemus,  are  you  bewitched?  Speak  out 
and  explain  yourself!  Has  another  of  those  peri- 
odical spells  overtaken  you,  Nicodemus,  or  has  Old 
Nick  at  last  taken  possession  of  the  old  sinner,  as 
a  punishment  for  the  abuse  often  heaped  upon 
those  who  now  rest  in  peace  over  in  the  churchyard 
beside  Jim  and  Tim?  Begone,  you  old" — 

But  before  another  word  could  be  uttered,  there, 
resting  on  each  arm  of  the  easy  reclining- chair,  sat 


468 


Nicholas  Comenius. 


Hannah  and  Robert,  with  arm  encircling  the 
aged  patriarch's  neck,  while  little  Teddy  and 
Stephen  Smithers  stood  smiling  within  the  open 
doorway. 


FRIENDS    REUNITED. 


Yes,  there  in  the  old  homestead,  near  by  the 
majestic  oak,  beneath  which  still  stood  the  rem- 
nant of  the  little  red  sandstone  school-house,  sat 
Robert  and  Hannah— Robert,  now  a  Senator  of 
world-wide  reputation,  and  Hannah — the  mother 
of  four  stalwart  lads — verily  a  second  Mother 
Benton. 


Conclusion.  469 

For  what  passed  between  the  aged  father  and 
the  young  schoolmaster  of  forty  years  ago  we  have 
no  words.  We  have  fulfilled  our  mission.  We 
have  given  you,  largely  from  his  own  lips,  the 
story  of  Nicholas  Comenius,  the  big-hearted, 
broad-minded  pioneer  of  the  early  days  of  the 
common  school  system.  A  few  years  more,  and 
he  too  will  peacefully  rest  over  near  the  gray  old 
church,  beside  his  old  friend  Jimmy,  the  former 
master  of  the  village  school.  If  any  there  be 
among  my  readers  who  wish  for  the  sequel,  they 
must  follow  Robert  and  Hannah  to  their  far- 
distant  home,  beyond  the  broad  Mississippi,  u  the 
father  of  waters, "  and  there  gather  from  them  the 
inspiration  that  may  thrill  the  hearts  of  the  rising 
generation  with  the  realization  of  a  brighter  and 
a  more  perfect  future. 


-THE  STANDARD  TEACHERS'  LIBRARY,  No.  61.- 


,    Nicholas  Comenius, 

As  Roderick  Hume  is  a  picture  of  the  New  York  school  principal  of 
1870,  so  Nicholas  Comenius  is  a  picture  of  the  Pennsylvania  schoolmaster 
of  1860,  when  new  ideas  of  educational  methods  began  to  come  into  conflict 
with  the  old.  It  is  a  vivid  portrayal  of  the  schools,  the  teachers  and  school- 
officers,  the  institutes,  the  book-agents,  and  all  the  educational  features  of 
that  period,  and  deserves  a  place  in  every  collection  of  books  on  education. 
from  the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  Daniel  H.  Hastings. 

"  For  the  last  few  nights  the  disturbances  in  Luzerne  county  have  com- 
pelled me,  together  with  General  Snowden,  Adjutant  General  Stewart,  and 
the  Attorney  General,  to  be  in  almost  constant  communication  with  our 
troops  at  Hazleton;  and  while  sitting  about  the  telephone  and  telegraph 
for  two  nights,  the  intervals  have  been  occupied  in  reading  '  Nicholas 
Comenius.'  During  that  time  I  read  every  chapter  aloud  to  my  comrades, 
and  we  unanimously  agreed  that  I  should  write  you  this  letter  of  thanks 
for  such  an  interesting  and  delightful  contribution  to  our  Pennsylvania 
literature.  I  have  always  thought  the  '  Vicar  of  Wakelield  '  the  most 
charming  book  in  our  language.  I  now  think  your  book  comes  very  close 
to  it." 

From  the  State  Superintendent  of  Pennsylvania,  N.  C.  Schaeffer. 

"  Many  books  are  made  of  nothing  and  for  nothing  and  get  nowhere. 
The  book  here  presented  is  not  of  that  class.  In  my  judgment  it  is  a  valu- 
able contribution  to  our  educational  literature.  .  .  .  The  author  of  Nicholas 
Comenius  deserves  the  special  gratitude  of  those  who  feel  an  interest  in 
rescuing  from  oblivion  the  factors  that  gave  us  our  beneficent  system  of 
Common  Schools." 

From  the  Deputy  State  Superintendent  of  Pennsylvania,  Henry  Houck. 

"  Nicholas  Comenius  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  books  I  ever  read. 
It  is  written  in  charming  style,  eloquent  and  tender  in  the  tribute  it  pays  to 
the  pioneers  in  the  cause  of  education,  and  yet  full  of  encouragement  and 
inspiration  for  every  teacher.  This  book  should  be  in  every  library  and 
every  home." 

From  the  School  Gazette,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

"  Nicholas  Comenius,  or  Ye  Pennsylvania  Schoolmaster  of  Ye  Olden 
Time,  by  William  Riddle,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.,  is  the  latest  addition  to  educa- 
tional fiction.  While  it  is  being  sold  with  such  books  as  the  Hoosier  School- 
master and  Roderick  Hume,  it  is  being  compared  to  the  Vicar  of  Wakefield 
and  to  the  schoolmaster  of  Drurntochty  in  the  Bonnie  Brier  Bush.  .  .  .  The 
volume  has  in  it  wit,  humor,  instruction  and  entertainment.  Its  illustra- 
tions are  as  expressive  as  those  of  an  illustrated  volume  of  Dickens,  and 
there  is  as  much  flavor  in  it  as  in  Roderick  Hume,  and  as  much  substance 
as  in  the  Evolution  of  Dodd." 

16mo,  pp.  492  ;  42  Illustrations.    Manilla  50  cts;  Cloth,  $1.50. 

C.  W.  BARDEEN,  Publisher,   Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


OPINIONS    OF    NICHOLAS    COMENIUS 

From   County  Superintendent  M.  J.  Brecht. 

"  The  book  is  written  in  the  form  of  a  story  and  through  the  medium 
of  a  strong  caste  of  characters— some  historical  and  others  of  the  author's 
own  creation,  but  typical  of  the  period  in  which  they  lived — it  pictures 
reminiscences,  narrates  incidents,  describes  events,  and  delineates  condi- 
tions of  the  fight  for  Free  Schools  in  Pennsylvania  that  should  be  read  and 
read  again  by  every  one  who  is  interested  in  the  growth  and  expansion  of 
our  Common  School  system.  While  the  work  is  largely  historical,  giving 
the  reader  clear  and  well-defined  views  of  the  great  epochs  which  work  the 
transitional  stages  in  the  evolution  of  our  school  system,  the  author  carries 
forward  in  a  parallel  line  with  the  historical  past,  a  series  of  sage  pedagogical 
comments  that  are  radiant  with  good  sense,  and  are  sure  to  give  the  book  a 
rating  among  the  world's  works  upon  pedagogical  literature.  The  teacher 
will  find  its  pages  suggestive  of  much  that  will  come  directly  into  play  in 
solving  the  daily  issues  of  the  school  room,  and  suggestive  of  more  upon 
broad  professional  lines  that  will  enrich  his  knowledge  of  child-nature  and 
psychology,  enlarge  his  sense  of  personal  responsibility  to  his  profession, 
and  inspire  him  to  read  up  with  some  degree  of  enthusiasm  and  purpose 
the  history  and  science  of  education.  In  my  judgment,  every  teacher 
should  make  it  a  point  to  read  the  book." 

From  Superintendent  Edward  Brooks,  Philadelphia. 

"  The  book  is  unique,  and  without  a  parallel  in  educational  literature. 
One  begins  to  read  it  with  surprise  and  a  feeling  of  wonder  to  know  the 
exact  purpose  of  the  author;  but  after  reading  a  chapter  or  two  he  catches 
the  drift  of  the  work  and  begins  to  enjoy  it.  Beneath  the  stream  of  grave  and 
dignified  humor,  there  will  be  found  many  interesting  historic  facts  and 
much  suggestive  thought  in  respect  to  educational  doctrine  and  practice. 
The  work  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  educational  literature,  and  no  edu- 
cational library  may  be  regarded  as  complete  without  a  copy  of  it.  I  have 
placed  Nicholas  Comenius  in  the  Pedagogical  Library  belonging  to  the 
Department  of  Superintendence." 

From  Superintendent  R.  L.  Edwards,  Portland,  Oregon. 

"  After  the  receipt  of  your  book,  for  which  find  enclosed  $1.50,  I  opened 
up  a  subscription  list  and  have  so  far  twenty-two  signatures.     If  you  will 
send  me  forty  copies  I  will  take  pleasure  in  placing  them." 
From  the  Harrisburg  Telegraph. 

"  Mr.  Riddle  has  made  a  departure  on  a  new  line  which  promises  to  be 
a  success.  There  is  not  a  dull  chapter  in  the  book.  The  one  devoted  to  the 
history  of  the  free  school  fight  throws  bright  light  on  those  days  and  in- 
creases our  admiration  for  the  great  men  who  did  that  pioneer  work.  .  .  . 
The  characters  are  all  marked  personalities,  and  the  author  makes  them 
live— we  feel  acquainted  with  them,  and  are  sorry  to  bid  them  good-bye. 
The  book  is  just  out  of  press,  and  the  few  who  have  had  the  chance  to  read 
it  are  unanimous  in  its  praise.  Teachers  especially  will  find  both  enter- 
tainment and  instructive  suggestion  in  its  pages.  We  can  recommend  it 
unreservedly  to  all  readers,  especially  to  those  who  are  connected  with 
educational  work." 


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(8) 


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(9) 


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